Ahhh! Two tenor battles! These kinds of discs were all over the place in the 50s and 60s, but who does them nowadays? But then, you REALLY want to hear two of today’s anemic saxist play together? It might sound like an Emphysema Convention!
Here, you’ve got beefy guys Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. Both ’62 sessions have B3ers-Donald Patterson and Jack McDuff. Oh Yeah! Boss Tenors also includes Paul Weeden/g and William James/dr while Soul Summit keeps it simple with Charlie Persip/dr. Stitt slips his alto in once in awhile as on a wonderfully warm “Why Was I Born?” but for the most part you’ve got two type of BBQ sauce vying for the beef and pork ribs, just ready to stick to your belly. Ammons’ tone is thicker, while Stitt swings a bit more swiftly as on “Walkin’” or “Bye, Bye, Blackbird.” Then, you’ve got some foot stompers like “Tubby” and “Shuffle Twist” that sounds like a chocolate swirl at the local DQ. This is YUMMY music! Fill ‘er up!
Fresh Sound Records