NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2025 Verve Vault Series mono remastered reissue. Remastered from the original analog tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl by Optimal Media in Germany.
Sonny Side Up brings together three giants of modern jazz: trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and tenor saxophonists Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins. Recorded in New York City in December 1957 and released two years later on Norman Granz’s newly established Verve label, the session features pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Tommy Bryant, and drummer Charlie Persip rounding out the rhythm section.
The album captures the inspired chemistry between Rollins and Stitt—two musicians deeply rooted in Charlie Parker’s bebop innovations yet distinct in approach. Stitt brought Parker’s fire and intensity to the tenor saxophone, while Rollins approached improvisation with intellectual depth and playful thematic development. The result is a spirited dialogue between two contrasting yet complementary voices, anchored by Gillespie’s exuberant trumpet lines.
Critics have long praised Sonny Side Up for its energy and spontaneity. AllMusic’s Stephen Cook called it “one of the most exciting jam session records in the jazz catalog,” a set that balances high-level musicianship with the loose, competitive edge of a live cutting contest. Over six decades later, it remains a thrilling document of bebop’s evolution and a testament to the creative interplay among three masters at the height of their powers.
TRACKLIST:
A1 On The Sunny Side Of The Street
A2 The Eternal Triangle
B1 After Hours
B2 I Know That You Know
