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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The Classic Years, Vol. 1
Bebop - Released by Sleeping Giant Music on 29 Sep 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Cool - Sonny Clark
Jazz - Released by Digital Revival on 15 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Jazz Store, Vol. 42
Jazz - Released by Midget Music on 24 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ultimate Rat Pack, Vol. 6
Jazz - Released by Mile End on 5 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Body & Soul
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 5 Apr 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Two Bass Hit
Jazz - Released by Blooming Jazz Records on 26 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rare Retro Sounds
Jazz - Released by Catchy Sound on 30 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Leapin' And Lopin'
Jazz - Released by Resurfaced Records on 30 Nov 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cool Struttin
World - Released by Crazy Warthog Media on 1 Jul 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Conception
Jazz - Released by Resurfaced Records on 29 Mar 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Sonny Clark Trio
Jazz - Released by Resurfaced Records on 1 May 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Deep Night (The Anthology)
Jazz - Released by Save The Last REC on 24 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leapin' and Lopin' (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition, Remastered, Doxy Collection)
Jazz - Released by Doxy Records on 1 Apr 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo