Sonny Red

For the organized crime figure nicknamed "Sonny Red", see Al Indelicato.

Sonny Red (December 17, 1932 in Detroit as Sylvester Kyner Jr. – March 20, 1981) was an American alto saxophonist associated with the hard bop idiom among other styles. He had some success in the 1960s, but had fallen into obscurity by the late 1970s.

As leader

• 1959-60: Out of the Blue (Blue Note) with Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, Jimmy Cobb, and Roy Brooks
• 1961: The Mode (Jazzland, with Cedar Walton, George Tucker, Jimmy Cobb, Blue Mitchell, Barry Harris, and Grant Green)
• 1970: Sonny Red (Mainstream, with Cedar Walton)

As sideman

With Donald Byrd

• Mustang! (1967)
• Blackjack (1967)
• Slow Drag (1967)
• The Creeper (1967)

With Curtis Fuller

• Jazz .... It's Magic! (Savoy, 1957)
• New Trombone (OJC, 1957)

With Clifford Jordan

• Mosaic (Milestone, 1961)
• A Story Tale (Jazzland, 1961)

With Bill Hardman

• Bill Hardman
• Saying Something

With Yusef Lateef

• The Blue Yusef Lateef (Atlantic, 1968)

With Paul Quinichette

• On The Sunny Side (OJC, 1957)

With Bobby Timmons

• Live at the Connecticut Jazz Party (Early Bird, 1964)

With Frank Wess

• Jazz Is Busting Out All Over (1957)

External links

• Review of the 2003 edition of the Annual Review of Jazz Studies in the online journal Mississippi Rag covers an extensive oral history of Sylvester "Sonny Red" Kyner by Anders Svanoe.