Sonny Clark

Sonny Clark

Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American hard bop pianist. An underappreciated jazz artist during his time, Clark's work has become much more widely known after his death. Strongly influenced by Bud Powell, Clark is known for his unique touch, sense of melody and complex, hard-swinging style.

Biography

Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town southeast of Pittsburgh. At age 12, he moved to Pittsburgh. When visiting an aunt in California at age 20, Clark decided to stay and began working with saxophonist Wardell Gray. Clark went to San Francisco with Oscar Pettiford and after a couple months, was working with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco in 1953. Clark toured the U.S. and Europe with DeFranco until January 1956, when he joined The Lighthouse All-Stars, led by bassist Howard Rumsey.

Wanting to get back to the east coast, Clark served as accompanist for singer Dinah Washington in February 1957 in order to relocate to New York City at age 25. In New York, Clark, a master comper, was often requested as a sideman by many musicians and became one of the most recorded jazz musicians. He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records, on which he played as a sideman with many of the most important hard bop players, including: Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, and Wilbur Ware. He also recorded sessions with jazz luminaries Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Billie Holiday, Stanley Turrentine, and Lee Morgan.

As a band leader, Clark's albums Sonny Clark Trio (1957), with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' (1958), are often considered his masterpieces. Sonny Clark Trio (1960) with George Duvivier and Max Roach is also considered among his finest. Although his compositions were relatively rare, the few that were recorded have achieved a cult following, most notably among Japanese jazz enthusiasts. A drug addict, Clark died of a heroin overdose in New York City. Close friend and fellow jazz pianist Bill Evans dedicated the composition "NYC's No Lark" (an anagram of "Sonny Clark") to him after his death, included on Evans' Conversations with Myself (1963).

Select discography

Albums

• Oakland, 1955 (1955), Uptown
• Dial "S" for Sonny (1957), Blue Note
• Sonny Clark Trio (1957), Blue Note
• Sonny Clark Quintet (1957), Blue Note
• Cool Struttin' (1958), Blue Note
• Blues in the Night (1958), Blue Note
• Standards (1958), Blue Note
• My Contraception (1959), Blue Note
• Sonny's Crib (1959), Blue Note
• Sonny Clark Trio (1960), Time/Bainbridge - with Max Roach and George Duvivier
• Leapin' and Lopin' (1961), Blue Note

Video

• Cool Struttin' (2005), Classics

References

• Feather, Leonard (2002). Sonny Clark Trio [CD liner notes]. Blue Note Records.
• Palmer, Robert (March 18 1987). "The Pop Life; Recalling Sonny Clark". The New York Times. Retrieved on September 1 2007.

External links

• Sonny Clark Discography at Jazz Discography Project
• Lee Bloom & Michael Waters' Sonny Clark Project
• Lee Bloom's Sonny Clark Discography