Recorded on March 1, 1975
Some have described Sonny Criss' sound as a marriage of Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker. I've never heard Criss play more beautifully than he does on this Xanadu release. If you've never heard it before, I can only recommend that you get it as soon as possible. Don't hesitate! Grab it while the 2016 Elemental reissue is still available.
For those of you who are concerned with audio issues: The CD reissue makes a drastic improvement in audio quality compared to the original LP.
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Sonny's most well-known record from the 1970s is probably Crisscraft (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975). It's an outstanding recording -- but I prefer Saturday Morning by a whisker.
Sonny's most well-known record from the 1970s is probably Crisscraft (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975). It's an outstanding recording -- but I prefer Saturday Morning by a whisker.
I find all of Criss's 1970s recordings more satisfying than his work from the previous 2 decades. He began recording in 1952 - a 3-album set on Imperial was available on 2 CDs. His 1960s work for Prestige included too many pop songs for my taste. Saturday Morning, Crisscraft, and Out of Nowhere (the latter 2 on Muse) are much better. Unheralded Dolo Coker is on piano on the Muse sets, an able replacement for the wonderful Barry Harris. Criss died in 1977 at age 50.
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