AotW - Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'

[bluemonk]

I remember that it was deleted from the BN catalogue not that long after it was released. Was shocked that they pulled it that fast. I remember we had some discussion about it on the old BN board.

Yeah, it seems Blue Note does this a lot for some reason. Do you know the logic behind this?

[BruceH]

You'd think BN would do better by their ertwhile house pianist. They long ago should have RVGed Leapin' and Lopin' as well as My Conception.

[bluemonk]

You'd think BN would do better by their ertwhile house pianist. They long ago should have RVGed Leapin' and Lopin' as well as My Conception.

They do this to a lot of artists' music unfortunately which is a damn shame.

[AndrewHill]

I think the way it works (and I pretty sure there's some threads on this topic, though I'm not sure where, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Conns are given an additional pressing if sales are good. If sales are poor, then they let the stock run out (or they turn into cut outs, etc) and they go out of print. So its my guess that My Conception (depsite the fact that it is an excellent disc) didn't sell well and went OOP. It seems that these kind of decisions are made quickly as the 10 inchers and the West Coast Classics, have shown. So my advice is that as soon as you see somthing, grab it, because you never know when you'll see it again. -_-

[AndrewHill]

You'd think BN would do better by their ertwhile house pianist. They long ago should have RVGed Leapin' and Lopin' as well as My Conception.

Amen to that. L&L is looooooooong overdue.

[bluemonk]

I think the way it works (and I pretty sure there's some threads on this topic, though I'm not sure where, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Conns are given an additional pressing if sales are good. If sales are poor, then they let the stock run out (or they turn into cut outs, etc) and they go out of print. So its my guess that My Conception (depsite the fact that it is an excellent disc) didn't sell well and went OOP. It seems that these kind of decisions are made quickly as the 10 inchers and the West Coast Classics, have shown. So my advice is that as soon as you see somthing, grab it, because you never know when you'll see it again. -_-

Thanks for that information. I had an idea that's basically what happened, but wasn't sure. I will definitely snag "My Conception" if I see it for a decent price.

[BruceH]

I think the way it works (and I pretty sure there's some threads on this topic, though I'm not sure where, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is that the Conns are given an additional pressing if sales are good. If sales are poor, then they let the stock run out (or they turn into cut outs, etc) and they go out of print. So its my guess that My Conception (depsite the fact that it is an excellent disc) didn't sell well and went OOP. It seems that these kind of decisions are made quickly as the 10 inchers and the West Coast Classics, have shown. So my advice is that as soon as you see somthing, grab it, because you never know when you'll see it again. -_-

You said it! That's why I said L&L and MC should be RVGed, since the RVGs are at least kept in print for a decent stretch. Don't even get me started on the 10" Series...if I knew then what I know now I would have grabbed every one the day of release. As it was, the damn things were even more expensive than regular Connoisseurs, which I think had a real deterrent effect on the consumer. I know it did on me until I learned how damn good they were.

[AndrewHill]

Yeah, those 10 inchers. I had almost everyone in my hand back in '98 and put most of them right back (what the hell was I thinking?...oh yeah, they'll be around for awhile )

[sidewinder]

Bought the whole lot back in the day (and also all the 'West Coast Classics') and they are sitting in one of the racks with the OBI strips on them.

Edited May 17, 2008 by sidewinder

[ghost of miles]

Reading an advance copy of Sam Stephenson's new book about photographer W. Eugene Smith, and it contains this interesting passage about the iconic status of Cool Struttin' in Japan:

"According to Soundscan, which began tracking CD sales in 1991, Clark's 1958 album on the Blue Note label, Cool Struttin', has, in Japan, outsold several Blue Note albums with similar instrumentation from the same period that dwarf Cool Struttin' in terms of iconography and sales in the States.  For example, from 1991 to 2009, Cool Struttin' sold 38,000 copies in the States and 179,000 in Japan, while over the same period, Coltrane's classic 1957 release, Blue Train, sold 545,000 copies in the States and 147,000 in Japan."

[GA Russell]

Ghost, do you think the Japanese jazz fans already had Blue Train before 1991, but not Cool Struttin'?

[CJ Shearn]

Didn't "Cool Struttin" become a phenomena in the jazz kissa in the early to mid 80's?  That's always how I understood it's popularity.  Certainly the liners by Shoichi Yui for "Barry Harris Live in Tokyo" make the case for jazz records being played in public places like coffeeshops in Japan in the mid 70's which was a surprise to Mr. Harris.

[danasgoodstuff]

Maybe they have an ankle fetish?

[JSngry]

Yeah, that cover is not likely to go out of style any time soon!

[Enterprise Server]

Very hip recording. I bought it back in the day when I was in college. Check out the Sonny Clark recording on Xanadu....

[Big Beat Steve]

1 hour ago, Enterprise Server said:

Check out the Sonny Clark recording on Xanadu..

..

The first Sonny Clark record I ever bought (one of those chance purchases at a misc. items record stall) back in the early 80s. Very fluent, allowing him to stretch out ...

BTW, that's an interesting avatar you got there. I saw that movie at a local Art & Jazz exhibition here in late 2015.  The contrast between the intense music and the very slow movements of the camera is amazing but makes you feel sort of restless as time passes - the movie could have benefitted from some editing IMO ...

[danasgoodstuff]

Cool Struttin' is a fine a fine album, not but any more so than Clark's others on BN or any number of his sideman appearances - if I had to rank/rate it I'd say sold 'B' but that's all.  Stil a B level Sonny Clark BN is a beautiful thing.  Love Jackie Mac's sound, I don't recall his intonation being particularly off here, at least not as much as it sometime can be (the edge on his sound can get a little raw, for lack of a better term, and what's this about his being flat - if anything I thought he was sharp?).  The perfect Sonny Clark date is the one he didn't get to make with Shorter, Dolphy & Williams!

[Guy Berger]

9 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

Cool Struttin' is a fine a fine album, not but any more so than Clark's others on BN or any number of his sideman appearances - if I had to rank/rate it I'd say sold 'B' but that's all.  Stil a B level Sonny Clark BN is a beautiful thing.  Love Jackie Mac's sound, I don't recall his intonation being particularly off here, at least not as much as it sometime can be (the edge on his sound can get a little raw, for lack of a better term, and what's this about his being flat - if anything I thought he was sharp?).  The perfect Sonny Clark date is the one he didn't get to make with Shorter, Dolphy & Williams!

I'd put Sonny's Crib #1, Cool Struttin #2.  The trio album is at the bottom of my list.

[Dave James]

I know these weren't leadership dates, but I'll still take "Nigeria", "Oleo" and "Gooden's Corner", the three albums Clark did with Grant Green.

[clifford_thornton]

I like Leapin' and Lopin' a lot, as well as the quartets with GG. My Conception is also excellent. Probably haven't spun Cool Struttin' in 10 years or more... never really got all that into it actually and can't figure out its iconic status.

[erwbol]

Deep Night is a very addictive tune. I love to have it on repeat.

[Brad]

On 6/12/2017 at 11:03 AM, clifford_thornton said:

I like Leapin' and Lopin' a lot, as well as the quartets with GG. My Conception is also excellent. Probably haven't spun Cool Struttin' in 10 years or more... never really got all that into it actually and can't figure out its iconic status.

Cool Struttin' is the album that got me into Sonny. The album photo is arresting; that's what good packaging is about.  I think Alfred must have known that.   More than that the title song is catchy.