Boss Tenors (1961)

This is a blowing session by big men on big horns. The tempos are up, with double-time the norm, and the horns are given ample room to blow. "There Is No Greater Love" kicks off the CD at a quick tempo and Ammons and Stitt, heard on alto for this tune, set the format of trading theme statements and choruses. They had worked together before this session and their musical symbiosis shows. On "Blues Up and Down" they trade one note back and forth with the ease of two guys playing catch. The recording though is distinguished by the palpable sense of inspiration here. You can hear them exchanging ideas and knocking each other out of their stock riffs and into some truly inspired blowing. --Michael Monhart