life In the 1970s Stitt slowed his recording output slightly but in 1972 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 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!. 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 which encompassed it. Stitt's productivity dropped in the 1970s due to alcoholism. He drank heavily after 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 quit for good. 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. In 1975 he performed with Ron Burton, Major Holley and drummer John Lewis at the Village Vanguard. In 1981, Stitt performed with George Duvivier and Jimmy Cobb, Six weeks before his death, Stitt recorded two last consecutive sessions which were with George Duvivier, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Hardman and either Junior Mance or Walter Davis Jr. on piano. In 1982, Stitt was diagnosed with cancer, and died on July 22 in Washington, D.C. He is buried in a wall crypt at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland. Discography As leader/co-leader 1949–50: Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J. J. Johnson (Prestige, 1956) 1950: Stitt's Bits (Prestige, 1958) 1950–52: Kaleidoscope (Prestige, 1957) 1953: Sonny Stitt Playing Arrangements from the Pen of Johnny Richards (Roost) 1954: Jazz at the Hi-Hat (Roost) 1954: The Battle of Birdland (Roost) with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis 1955: Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones (Roost) 1956: Sonny Stitt Plays (Roost) 1956: New York