Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt – Boss Tenors (Verve)

Not to be confused with Ammons’ own Boss Tenor (a classic in its own right), the “s” signifies a crucial plurality that also marks the presence of Stitt. As arguably the most beloved tenor tandem in the history of bop-based jazz, these two swagger across five long-blowing tracks including a nearly nine-minute sally through their signature “Blues Up and Down.” Along the way, the largely anonymous Windy City rhythm section of John Houston, Buster Williams and George Brown keeps pace & leaves space for Jug & Sonny to do what they do best. There were other meetings, but this one bottles all the excitement in one economical canister.