Finally hearing Sonny Clark

[bluesForBartok]

Now I don't know if any of you have ever thought about this but have you ever wondered or wished Sonny Clark had played w/ Miles Davis? I wonder if Miles was even aware of Sonny at the time? I think a dream session would be Miles, Trane, Clark, PC and Philly Joe! And heck even Mobley for Trane would still be gorgeous!

All I can do is dream I guess...

[BruceH]

Yeah, except that Miles would kick Mobley out of the studio!

[BruceH]

While we're dreaming, how about Sonny with Clifford Brown, Clifford Jordan, Paul Desmond, Pepper Adams, Shadow Wilson, and Ray Brown? .....mmmmm...

[.:.impossible]

Nice write-up Joe. I don't have this one and have never heard it. I will definitely be purchasing it soon and listening to it often after this recent Sonny Clark revival! 'Round here anyways.

[DrJ]

Kevin Bresnahan 

Posted: Apr 6 2004, 11:12 AM

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

Man, are you on target on BOTH accounts. That 2CD JRVG is one of my prized posessions, and the Hoffman SACD is fantastic, probably the greatest upgrade in sound from a prior CD remastering I've ever come across in jazz.

I am and have always been a huge Sonny Clark fan, as far as I'm concerned he seldom played at less than an other-wordly level. Not a great innovator, not a showy guy, but a consummate musician and as soulful and communicative as a jazz pianist ever has been. The clincher for me is his time feel - there's a sense of bounce and forward movement that is totally unique.

[Big Al]

Now I don't know if any of you have ever thought about this but have you ever wondered or wished Sonny Clark had played w/ Miles Davis?

Funny you should mention that, as I thought the same thing while listening to Blue Serge. It would've been a completely different Quintet, that's for sure; a comlpete contrast to the colorful block-chords that Red Garland painted with!

[Cali]

Now I don't know if any of you have ever thought about this but have you ever wondered or wished Sonny Clark had played w/ Miles Davis? I wonder if Miles was even aware of Sonny at the time?  I think a dream session would be Miles, Trane, Clark, PC and Philly Joe! And heck even Mobley for Trane would still be gorgeous!

All I can do is dream I guess...

Amen to that! I've often fantasized about Sonny sitting in Red Garland's piano chair!! I like Red, a lot, but Sonny? Whew! Nobody comps like Sonny. I even hear Sonny's influence in Horace Silver's comping (even though both of them are out of Bud Powell).

Don't forget about SONNY'S CRIB, featuring John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor. That album was the precursor of BLUE TRAIN, recorded only 14 days earlier. Features my all time favorite version of Speak Low.

[DrJ]

I would draw a much stronger parallel between Wynton Kelly and Sonny Clark than Garland and Clark. Both are, for lack of a better word, much more "modern" sounding in their conception to me, and there's a lot of commonality in that time feel and "bounce." Garland was superb no doubt and King Comper, but he still sounds more firmly in the more traditional 40's-50's bop mold than Kelly or Clark (even though Clark did much of his recording in the 50's he sounded like a 60's guy even then!).

[bluesForBartok]

I agree with you there DrJ.

The reason that came to mind for me was primarily his playing on the Standards CD and in particular his version of "I Cover The Waterfront". It's so elegant and the perfect foil for Miles during that period.

[Big Al]

Any thoughts on Grant Green's BORN TO BE BLUE? Is it as good as the stuff on THE COMPLETE QUARTETS? I'm probably gonna get it anyway, but I'd still like to hear the thoughts of youse guys!

[DrJ]

In my view, yes, it's a very nice complement to the COMPLETE QUARTETS set, same level of quality. Green and Clark - what are you waiting for!?!?

Edited April 10, 2004 by DrJ

[Big Al]

In my view, yes, it's a very nice complement to the COMPLETE QUARTETS set, same level of quality. Green and Clark - what are you waiting for!?!?

For someone to have a Blue Note sale somewhere!

[sjarrell]

I think the 2 CD JRVG of Clark's trio material is one of the best-sounding CD remasters I own.

What does the double contain exactly?

Here's where I answer my own question. For the curious:

1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (alternate take)

2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

3. Two Bass Hit

4. Two Bass Hit (alternate take)

5. Be-bop

6. Tadd's Delight (alternate take)

7. Tadd's Delight

8. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise

9. I'll Remember April

10. Black Velvet

11. I'm Just a Lucky So and So

12. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You

13. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You (alternate take)

14. Ain't No Use

15. The Breeze and I

16. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

17. Can't We Be Friends?

18. I Cover the Waterfront

19. Somebody Loves Me

20. Blues in the Night (short version)

21. Blues in the Night (long version)

22. All of You

23. Dancing in the Dark

Edited April 12, 2004 by sjarrell

[DrJ]

As you can see from the listing above, the 2 CD JRVG includes not only the SONNY CLARK TRIO session (with all the alternates that have also ppeared in the U.S.) but also the session originally issued only in Japan that was finally issued a few years back as a "regular" BN reissue (no special series like Conn or RVG) called STANDARDS.

While I still prefer the SONNY CLARK TRIO stuff by a fairly good margin, the STANDARDS material has really grown on me. At first listen it sounded more subdued than the usual Clark fare, partly due to a fairly conservative rhythm section, but it's still a dandy and, if you're a Clark nut, I suspect it will grow on you with repeated listens.

Edited April 12, 2004 by DrJ

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Growing on me is that Bainbridge Trio from Audio Fidelity (they need to work on that cheapo logo they gots). I had picked up the M&I Hi Bit Hyper Master a couple years back and they were not only Hi but the tape hiss is a bit Hyper as well. The Hoffman put's it all in it's place - while mixing up the sequencing - but boy what a sound here. I must find some time to get me down to the stereo store to hear the SACD layer.

I've been re-revisiting "Leapin and Lopin" recently and hitting up a direct shot for 15 minutes of pure Higgins pleasure: "voodoo" / "midnite mambo".

[LAL]

I've been hesitating on acquiring the Trio and Standards discs but the recommendations/comments here have really got me itching to take the plunge.

Another for the all-star date "Sonny's Crib".

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Had been listening to some Bennie Green BN and pulled out the Bennie Green ST on Time. Struck by how different the swank of "It's Time" to the hipper variation "Voodoo" a year later and how great to hear the piece pull together.

Curious about what the studio situation was with the Time recording as it almost appears to sound like something that was pre 'Cool Struttin' in it's kind of Prestigey sounding set.

That lead me to listen to "A Fickle Sonance" from the same period, and wow, with the so-far-ahead title track esp you get that bitter tone and near out arrangement with Sonny holding the thing down with his swing while McLean turns in signs of the future.

And then Clark records the same crew swan song w/ Rouse that year for 'Leapin''.

The guy never ceases to amaze! I wonder if he might have been the bench choice for more outward recordings had he lived.

[cymbalgroove]

I'm a Sonny Clark freak!! His playing got to me the very first recording I heard with him which was Cool Struttin' I then quickly bought the Time recording with Max Roach and freaked over more of his great compositions like Nica aka Royal Flush. His compositions were really beautiful. The guy didn't play a wasted note!! I have most of his recorded output although some stuff I know I probably don't have. He played so relaxed and with so much clarity that it amazes me to this day. I've listened to those records a thousand times and can sing most of his solos which are some of the greatest of all time! Sonny was the man!!!

[AndrewHill]

How funny, I was just playing Dial S for Sonny this morning. Haven't played any of his leader dates in years and got inspired to pop this one in. Now, I want to have a Sonny fest of all his BN's. Everyone one of them is great too, not a bad one in the batch. Curious why My Conception wasn't released at the time. Those two session there are really really good. Guess Alfred heard something on it to keep it in the can. Some of you mentioned A Fickle Sonance above. I think this is some of Sonny's most out playing, at least to these ears. Love that album.

[cymbalgroove]

I read where Five Will Get You Ten off of A Fickle Sonance was actually a Monk tune Sonny took credit for. TS Monk said that in an interview that Sonny lived with Monk for a short time and took it from Monk. The tune sounds Monkish but Sonny could have wrote it. If Monk wrote why didn't he ever record it? I'm not doubting TS I'm just curious is all.

[jeffcrom]

I read where Five Will Get You Ten off of A Fickle Sonance was actually a Monk tune Sonny took credit for. TS Monk said that in an interview that Sonny lived with Monk for a short time and took it from Monk. The tune sounds Monkish but Sonny could have wrote it. If Monk wrote why didn't he ever record it? I'm not doubting TS I'm just curious is all.

According to Robin Kelley's Monk biography, Monk knew Clark was down on his luck and just gave him the tune.

[ghost of miles]

For those who are interested and haven't checked it out already, I did a Night Lights show last year on the final year of Clark's life:

Clark's Last Leap: Sonny Clark, 1961-62

It includes "Five Will Get You Ten" and recordings Sonny made with Grant Green, Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, and Ike Quebec.

[Hot Ptah]

I read where Five Will Get You Ten off of A Fickle Sonance was actually a Monk tune Sonny took credit for. TS Monk said that in an interview that Sonny lived with Monk for a short time and took it from Monk. The tune sounds Monkish but Sonny could have wrote it. If Monk wrote why didn't he ever record it? I'm not doubting TS I'm just curious is all.

According to Robin Kelley's Monk biography, Monk knew Clark was down on his luck and just gave him the tune.

It appears on "Monk On Monk", a T.S. Monk album, as "Two Timer", credited to Thelonious Monk.

Edited May 25, 2010 by Hot Ptah

[Big Al]

For those who are interested and haven't checked it out already, I did a Night Lights show last year on the final year of Clark's life:

Clark's Last Leap: Sonny Clark, 1961-62

It includes "Five Will Get You Ten" and recordings Sonny made with Grant Green, Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine, and Ike Quebec.

And a fantastic show it is, too!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

It appears on "Monk On Monk", a T.S. Monk album, as "Two Timer", credited to Thelonious Monk.

Which is why I'll never buy another recording with TS Monk on it. He has no way to know absolutely that his father wrote that piece but Sonny's estate doesn't sue him so he gets away with stealing a piece published by Sonny Clark. That's just not right.