Sonny Clark
Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark was an American jazz pianist who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Contents Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town southeast of Pittsburgh. At age 12, he moved to Pittsburgh. When visiting an aunt in California at age 20, Clark decided to stay and began working with saxophonist Wardell Gray. Clark went to San Francisco with Oscar Pettiford and after a couple months, was working with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco in 1953. Clark toured the U.S. and Europe with DeFranco until January 1956, when he joined The Lighthouse All-Stars, led by bassist Howard Rumsey.
Wishing to return to the east coast, Clark served as accompanist for singer Dinah Washington in February 1957 in order to relocate to New York City. In New York, Clark was often requested as a sideman by many musicians, partly because of his rhythmic comping. He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records, playing as a sideman with many hard bop players, including Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, and Wilbur Ware. He also recorded sessions with Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Billie Holiday, Stanley Turrentine, and Lee Morgan. As a band leader, Clark recorded albums Dial "S" for Sonny (1957), Sonny's Crib (1957), Sonny Clark Trio (1957), with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' (1958). Sonny Clark Trio, with George Duvivier and Max Roach was released in 1960. Clark died of a heart attack in New York City, although commentators attribute the early death to Clark's drug and alcohol abuse.
Tags
Reassessing
Album Review
- The Complete Recordings by Chris May
- The 1960 Sessions with George Duvivier and Max Roach by Jakob Baekgaard
My Blue Note Obsession
Album Review
- Dial "S" For Sonny by Greg Simmons
Profile
Album Review
- Sonny's Crib by Reid Thompson
- My Conception. by John Sharpe
- Standards by C. Michael Bailey
July 21, 2022
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
July 21, 2021
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
July 21, 2020
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
July 21, 2019
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
May 29, 2019
July 21, 2018
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
June 05, 2018
July 21, 2017
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark
July 21, 2016
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sonny Clark