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Jazz Articles about Sonny Clark
Sonny Clark: Sonny's Crib
by Reid Thompson
Sonny's Crib is a very pleasing recording from the sadly overlooked pianist Sonny Clark that works very well as a representative piece of the Blue Note catalogue at the time, framing all the characteristics that made that label so successful. It is essentially a blowing session, and to some extent, a preparation for Coltrane's seminal Blue Train, which was recorded several weeks after Sonny's Crib and featured the same ensemble with Lee Morgan subbing for Donald Byrd and Kenny Drew ...
Continue ReadingSonny Clark: My Conception.
by John Sharpe
In the late 50s and early 60s Sonny Clark functioned as the de facto house pianist for the fabled Blue Note label. Many of his recordings with giants like Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Curtis Fuller among many others are considered classics of the hard bop genre. Unfortunately, this Bud Powell-influenced pianist suffered from drug and alcohol addictions and his career was cut tragically short at the age of 31. As a result, Sonny’s output as a leader, Dial S for ...
Continue ReadingSonny Clark: Standards
by C. Michael Bailey
Stablemates. In the early 1960s, pianist Sonny Clark (1931-1963) and Guitarist Grant Green (1931-1979) were the top-drawer house musicians in the Blue Note stable. Dexter Gordon considered Sonny Clark his favorite pianist, having him play on the notable Go and A Swinging Affair sessions. Clark also made a series of landmark recordings with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco for Verve. Grant Green was on hand for some of Blue Note's highest moments (Hank Mobley's Workout, Ike Quebec's Blue and Sentimental, and Lee ...
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