Wow, just found some clips from the Paul Gonsalves and Sonny Stitt LP 'Salt & Pepper' on YouTube . I have the album, but my record player died a long time ago, so I didn't listen to it for ages. Gonsalves kills on this recording, one of my favourite LP's with Paul ever.
Here are some examples (Gonsalves plays in both clips the first solo):
- Perdido (Stitt's solo is at 4:15, check also the fours at 9:20 and the typical Stitt alike out part at 11:00):
or
The guy who posted these clips on YouTube has put more tunes of the album online, just check his account or search YT on "Sonny Stitt's & Paul Gonsalves". I remember also a great version of 'Stardust' on that album, but unfortunately that one is not posted on YT.
Gonsalves never ceases to amaze. Massive X factors and abstract concepts in his playing... The dude was from another planet. A complete original voice who ensconced himself in the warm bosom of the Ellington orchestra, and made a handful of feature albums such as this. He was a star, but he could've easily stepped out and had a solo career and been a bigger star, but I think his drinking habit was a huge deterrent, and for a guy like him being an Ellingtonian without the pressures and responsibilities of a full blown solo career was a great option. None of these young guns today can touch him for having such a unique an beautiful voice.
Very early Gonsalves sounded a bit like Ben Webster, who was one of his hero's. The sound of Paul is for me one of the best tenor sounds ever.
I saw some time ago a video of Ellington with Don Byas, who had to play Paul's horn and mouthpiece. Don is a fantastic player, but he couldn't get a decent out of Paul's setup. I didn't want to post that video here, it is a kind of embarrassing for Don Byas.
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