In the 1970s, Stitt slowed his recording output slightly, and in 1972, he produced another classic, Tune-Up!, which was and still is regarded by many jazz critics, such as Scott Yanow, as his definitive record. Indeed, his fiery and ebullient soloing was quite reminiscent of his earlier playing. In 1971 he managed to record four albums; Turn It On! with Leon Spencer, Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad, and Virgil Jones, You Talk That Talk! with Gene Ammons and George Freeman as new members of the group, Just The Way It Was – Live At The Left Bank with Don Patterson and Billy James, and Black Vibrations which featured the same group as in Turn It On!.[12] Just The Way It Was – Live At The Left Bank which was released in 2000 also featured Stitt as an electric saxophone player, which was the first album that encompassed it.[13]
Stitt’s productivity dropped in the 1970s due to alcoholism. Stitt had drunk heavily since giving up heroin in the late fifties and the abuse was beginning to take its toll. A series of alcohol-induced seizures caused Stitt to abstain and kick the habit for good.[14]
In 1975, Sonny had performed with Ron Burton, Major Holley, and John Lewis at the Village Vanguard.[15]
Stitt joined the all-star group The Giants of Jazz (which also featured Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kai Winding, and bassist Al McKibbon) and made albums for Atlantic, Concord, and EmArcy. His last recordings were made in Japan. A rejuvenated Stitt also toured with Red Holloway in the late 1970s, who noted a marked improvement in his playing.[1]
In 1981, Stitt had performed with George Duvivier and Jimmy Cobb, Six weeks before his death, Stitt had recorded two last consecutive sessions which were with George Duvivier, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Hardman, and either with Junior Mance or Walter Davis Jr. on piano.[6]
In 1982, Stitt was diagnosed with cancer, and he died on July 22 in Washington, D.C..[1]
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Sonny Stitt among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Stitt joined Miles Davis briefly in 1960, and recordings with Davis’ quintet can be found only in live settings on the tour of 1960.[9] Concerts in Manchester and Paris are available commercially and also a number of concerts (which include sets by the earlier quintet with John Coltrane) on the record Live at Stockholm (Dragon), all of which featured Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers. However, Miles fired Stitt due to the excessive drinking habit he had developed, and replaced him with Hank Mobley.[10] Later in the 1960s, Stitt paid homage to Parker on the album Stitt Plays Bird, which features Jim Hall on guitar.
