REISSUES : In Brief

* * * Sonny Stitt, “The Verve Years,” Verve. When the powerhouse alto and tenor saxophonist, who died in 1982, took his foot off the gas and played at slow to moderate tempos, his emotions took over and he was a marvel. At faster tempos, Stitt was still masterful if a tad mundane, dropping in cliches as often as original ideas. This 14-track, budget-priced compilation, gathered from dates done between 1956 and 1961, is split between the two Stitts, with rawness and honesty gushing forth on “Try a Little Tenderness” and “New York Blues,” while “Tune Up” and “I Know That You Know” sparkle with dashing lines and statements you know you’ve heard before--on this album.