The focus of this exciting, if imperfect, CD is a 1973 reunion of
Gene "Jug" Ammons and
Sonny Stitt, who were responsible for some of the most famous tenor saxophone battles of the 1940s and early '50s. When the two locked horns, it was musical sportsmanship at its finest.
Jug and
Stitt had a mutual respect for one another, and their battles were the essence of friendly competition. Some die-hard beboppers might be disappointed to learn that
God Bless Jug and Sonny (which was recorded live in Baltimore in 1973 but went unreleased until 2001) isn't all that competitive -- the saxmen don't try to relive their legendary cutting contests of the 1940s and early '50s. Nonetheless, there are many inspired moments, and they enjoy a strong rapport on exuberant performances of "Blue 'n' Boogie," "Stringin' the Jug," and "Bye Bye Blackbird" (all of which employ
Cedar Walton on piano,
Sam Jones on bass, and
Billy Higgins on drums).
Ammons and
Stitt don't play together on all of the tunes;
Stitt lays out on
Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child," and
Stitt is the only saxophonist on
Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York" (the only performance that finds
Stitt on alto instead of tenor). And neither saxman is heard on
Walton's "Ugetsu," a gem that lets the rhythm section shine by itself. When
Ammons and
Stitt play together, it's never hard to tell them apart. In contrast to the
Charlie Parker-minded
Stitt,
Ammons had the sort of big, breathy,
Coleman Hawkins-influenced tone you expected from a swing tenor (even though he was very much a bebopper/hard bopper). Unlike some of their 1940s/early '50s encounters,
God Bless Jug and Sonny falls short of essential. But this 1973 reunion is still enjoyable and will interest the saxophonists' hardcore fans. ~ Alex Henderson