Finally hearing Sonny Clark

[Big Al]

I've got lots of Sonny Clark, but very little of it has ever clicked with me. Until I got Johnny Griffin's The Congregation. And my oh MY how it finally clicked. So now I'm scouring thru the rack here at the house to go back and listen with new ears, so to speak.

There's just something about his playing on Congregation that is just so righteous; makes me wanna jump and shout AMEN!!! Right now I'm listening to the session on Vertigo with what must be considered Clark's most sympathetic rhythm-men, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. Course, I love Higgins anyway, him and Butch together is a match made in heaven, and now that Clark's music has finally wormed its way into my soul, it's just all sorts of sweetness.

Now, is there any rhythm section today that is as sympatico as these guys? not asking to try and glorify the past, but to see who's carrying the torch today.

Much to discuss, I hope!

(Edited for spelling; that'll teach me to start a post way past bedtime! )

Edited April 3, 2004 by Big Al

[JohnS]

That's great news Big Al. Sonny has a particularly relaxed, good natured and flowing style yet at the same time it is deeply soulful. One of the best in the business. Seek out some more. I can't think of any Clark dates that are not worthwhile, though I have a personal preference for the earlier ones.

All his Blue Note albums are rewarding and the trio date on Time with Max Roach. If the latter takes your fancy get the Steve Hoffman remaster.

[king ubu]

The Clark/Chambers/Philly Joe trio is one of my favourite. Their Blue Note album is GREAT!

Also check out this one:

Seems Clark is not new to you - I would recommend these two to hear what he was able to do as a musician, some of his best solos, in my opinion!

ubu

PS: I love the opening tune on "The Conversation"! I have to repeat that at least once each time I spin the album!

[John L]

Those are two of my favorites too. You can't go wrong there. On the former, you get some of the best Philly Joe on record too (IMO).

[king ubu]

...On the former, you get some of the best Philly Joe on record too (IMO).

Absolutely!

ubu

[Big Al]

Y'all know it! The Green session was my first introduction to him, particularly the session with Blakey where everyone's on fire! (Come to think of it, that was also my first Grant Green CD as well)

You guys're right about his relaxed style. I guess in the past, his style just seem to be too dry for me. Now I realize he is an absolute (and underappreciated) master of SPACE! That started becoming clear with Jackie's Bag.

I wanna hear A Fickle Sonance now, with the great Clark-Warren-Higgins team!

Edited April 3, 2004 by Big Al

[JSngry]

I think I like his comping even more than his soloing, especially on this one.

[bluesForBartok]

I love all things Sonny Clark! This one is a particular favorite of mine.

[.:.impossible]

I was the same way. I felt rather indifferent about Sonny Clark's playing. One night it just clicked. He is solid.

I have a disc called BLUES MAMBO with Sonny Clark, Max Roach, and George Duvivier from 1960 that I haven't seen much talk about. It is more of that great piano trio stuff and you get a lot of that "master of space" playing from Sonny.

The piano and bass are well up front (maybe a little ?hot?) on the recording and Max's snare and bass drum are at work! The cymbals sound a little smaller, but it is a really cool (not cool jazz) piano trio recording.

All Sonny Clark originals too, if I'm not mistaken.

[tonym]

The reasons stated above are why I voted for him in a past BB thread (one about the definitive Blue Note house pianist). Relaxed, soulful, coherant, ebulient -- much like Wynton Kelly at his best.

Cheers, tonym.

[Brad]

He IS the hard bop preeminent pianist of the late 50s early 60s for me. One of my favorites.

[AmirBagachelles]

Right on Brad; how about the DeFranco Verve sides with Sonny? His name was worthy of the title of the Mosaic set. My favorite Blue Note record is Leapin' and Lopin, but they are all fine.

[Big Al]

Don't have it yet, but he seems to be all over the Bennie Green Mosaic Select. I guess that means Sonny was definitely the pianist of choice for Bennie!

[Jazzmoose]

Wow; don't you just love it when a player suddenly 'clicks' like that for you? That's such a fantastic high...

[BruceH]

Ah, another covert to the Church of Clark. Welcome, my son, welcome!

Some of his solos are as lucid and flowing as a mountain stream. All of his Blue Notes are worth getting, particularly Cool Struttin' and Leapin' and Lopin'. The Time disc with Roach and Duvivier is great, and he was one of the best sidemen of his day. There's many an artist to whom I initially gave a listen simply because Sonny Clark was the pianist on one of his albums. (That goes for Johnny Griffin, Sonny Criss, etc.) I assume you've already got Dexter Gordon's Go! and A Swingin' Affair; they're almost as much Sonny's albums as they are Dexter's.

[mikeweil]

I have a disc called BLUES MAMBO with Sonny Clark, Max Roach, and George Duvivier from 1960 that I haven't seen much talk about.

The issue you have is a bootleg of the Time Records trio LP mentioned above, get the Steve Hoffmann remaster for best sound - and a legitimate issue:

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

After reading this, I dusted off this cd again to give it another couple of weekend spins and it simply doesn't work for me. It's not Clark...but Johnny Griffin. Something about his tone/playing just grates on my nerves. In addition to the Ike Quebec ones, this is the only other BN w/Clark that I just don't like. Maybe Griffin reminds me of Ike?

Edited April 5, 2004 by Son-of-a-Weizen

[.:.impossible]

Thanks Mike. I bought this copy for $4, so I can get over the pops and clicks on the last two tracks. I would love to hear this audiophile version though!

[.:.impossible]

That cover painting is kind of scary!

[Big Al]

After reading this, I dusted off this cd again to give it another couple of weekend spins and it simply doesn't work for me. It's not Clark...but Johnny Griffin. Something about his tone/playing just grates on my nerves. In addition to the Ike Quebec ones, this is the only other BN w/Clark that I just don't like. Maybe Griffin reminds me of Ike?

No kiddin’? Man, I think Griff & Clark click like nobody’s business! To each their own, I guess!

And I am SO glad I didn’t get rid of Jubilee Shout like I’d been wanting to (sorry undergroundagent!). What cookin’ there be on there!!!!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I think the 2 CD JRVG of Clark's trio material is one of the best-sounding CD remasters I own. It is still listed as "available" at Red Trumpet for $35.99, which is a very good price for a 2 CD JRVG... well worth it for any Sonny Clark fan. I paid a lot more and I still think it was worth it.

As for the Steve Hoffman remaster of the Time session, if you think the CD layer sounds good, wait 'til you get a chance to hear the SACD layer. What a gorgeous remaster.

Later,

Kevin

EDIT: Red Trumpet is having a sale and you could get this 2 CD set for $31.99 right now! What a steal.

Edited April 6, 2004 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Al,

You do have the "My Conception" Conn.?

I remember buying that one when it first arrived a few years back. Having just 'been used to' the Burrell / Jordan version of "Minor Meeting", etc... and never even knowing at the time of a Mobley side of it I was completely blown away and bouncing in my studio chair throughout that whole romp. Then the other take of "Royal Flush" ... Oh man!!! That is one Essential Connoisseur!

[Joe]

Had the technique of Lennie Tristano, the blues sensibility of Wyn Kelly, and the emotional vulnerability of Bill Evans. A rather complete package.

Be sure to check out:

the latter of which, with its unusual front-line, is one of the great all-time BN sessions (IMHO).

Edited April 6, 2004 by Joe

[Big Al]

Al,

You do have the "My Conception" Conn.?

I remember buying that one when it first arrived a few years back. Having just 'been used to' the Burrell / Jordan version of "Minor Meeting", etc... and never even knowing at the time of a Mobley side of it I was completely blown away and bouncing in my studio chair throughout that whole romp. Then the other take of "Royal Flush" ... Oh man!!! That is one Essential Connoisseur!

You got THAT right!!! Pity that Blakey & Clark didn't record together more often; it's because of Blakey I got this disc to begin with, and neither one disappoints!

And I so wanna get Leapin' and Lopin', for all the reasons mentioned in Joe's excellent review. But mainly just for that killer rhythm section of Clark/Warren/Higgins. Those guys could probably make Kenny G sound good!

[catesta]

Leapin' and Lopin' is a great date! I think it's the one that really made me appreciate Tommy Turrentine.