Sonny Clark
Like Fats Navarro and Charlie Parker before him, Sonny Clark's life was short but it burned with musical intensity. Influenced deeply by Bud Powell, Clark nonetheless developed an intricate and hard-swinging harmonic sensibility that was full of nuance and detail. Regarded as the quintessential hard bop pianist, Clark never got his due before he passed away in 1963 at the age of 31, despite the fact that it can be argued that he never played a bad recording date either as a sideman or as a leader. Known mainly for seven records on the Blue Note label with a host of players including such luminaries as John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, and others, Clark actually made his recording debut with Teddy Charles and Wardell Gray, but left soon after to join Buddy DeFranco. His work with the great clarinetist has been documented in full in a Mosaic set that is now sadly out of print. Clark also backed Dinah Washington, Serge Chaloff, and Sonny Criss before assuming his role as a leader in 1957. Clark's classic is regarded as Cool Struttin' but each date he led on Blue Note qualifies as a classic, including his final date, Sonny's Crib with John Coltrane. And though commercial success always eluded him, he was in demand as a sideman and played dozens of Alfred Lion-produced dates, including Tina Brooks' Minor Move. Luckily, Clark's contribution is well documented by Alfred Lion; he has achieved far more critical, musical, and popular acclaim than he ever did in life.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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Dats Jazz, Vol. 1 (The Dave Cash Collection)
Jazz - Released by The Dave Cash Collection - OMP on 23 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sonny's Crib + Dial "S" For Sonny + Cool Struttin'
Jazz - Released by The Jazz Corner on 1 Feb 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Sonny Clark - Vintage Sounds
Jazz - Released by Retro Music Box on 15 Oct 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Remember the Groove (3 Fabulous Songs of Sonny Clark)
Jazz - Released by diaries of golden times on 3 May 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All the Best
Jazz - Released by Don't stop the music on 12 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Dats Jazz, Vol. 2 (The Dave Cash Collection)
Jazz - Released by The Dave Cash Collection - OMP on 23 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nightingale
Jazz - Released by oldies and hits for future on 30 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Best of Sonny Clark
Jazz - Released by Montecarlo Jazz Recordings on 12 Jun 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Collection (Original Recordings)
Jazz - Released by Jazz Dog Records on 24 Apr 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Giants of Jazz
Jazz - Released by School of Jazz Records on 6 Oct 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Blue
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 5 Apr 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Deep Night
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 5 Apr 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Walked In
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 26 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Deep Night
Jazz - Released by Firefly Entertainment on 5 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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