Customer Reviews

Sonny's Crib

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My reviews of Sonny Clark are repeating themselves again because this album (CD) by Clark is another must have for any fan of bebop Jazz. Clark recorded this using his outstanding improvisational skill on the piano and the supporting musicians on this recording makes it a must have.

Clarks recordings of "With A Smile In My Heart", "Speak Low", "News For LuLu", and my personal favorite "Sonny's Crib" is bebop in your face Jazz at its best. This is a CD that is constantly in my stereo and everytime I listen to it, I am blown away at the amazing Piano playing that Clark had.

This CD as well as all of Clark's released recordings during his unfortunate brief life/Jazz Career are a definite must have.

An excellent Blue Note blowing session. Trombonist Curtis Fuller(who does indeed also play on the Dial "S" For Sonny album) is in fine form and seems spurred on by the presence of Coltrane. Donald Byrd cooks on trumpet, and Coltrane shows what a good sideman he could be back then. Overall there's a better feeling to this September 1, 1957 session than on Dial "S", recorded only nine weeks later. While this album is perhaps not QUITE the equal of Cool Struttin' (Jackie McClean was a particularly apposite collaborator) Clark's sinewy lines and lucid sense of swing never fail to satisfy. Maybe the folks who program the Bluenote "Connoisseur" series will next reissue The Sonny Clark Trio, with all the alternate takes at the end as they did here. How about it folks?

This is a hard swinging Blue Note session from the late 50's. It features a classic line up of Clark on piano, John Coltrane on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. All of the artists are comfortable in the session and no one musician dominates the set. The selections are arranged as to give everyone room to stretch and explore the collection of standards and Clark originals. Sonny's light, nimble touch is on display throughout the session. His solos are well worth listening to several times and swing on each track. Curtis Fuller has a warm, tender solo on the standard Come Rain Or Come Shine, and Coltrane shines on Speak Low. Everyone gets room to blow on the uptempo opening track, With a Song in My Heart, with Byrd's bright brassy trumpet leading the way. Finally, Clark's compositional skills shine thru on the classic that closes the set, News For Lulu. This is another great Blue Note "Connoisseur" reissue of a "lost classic", it gets one star automatically for putting all of the alternates at the end of the album instead of stringing them behind the master takes. I recommend this set as a classic straight ahead swinging hard bop date, especially to fans of the "Blue Note sound"

sonny clark is an often overlooked pianist, in part becuase of his foreshortened career, who gave us a wealth of treasures in his brief illumination. this album is a shining example, with the funky title track leading the way. also a highlight is 'news for lulu.' one interesting sidelight is trane: you can hear echoes of what was coming shortly on "blue train," especially with his interworking with curtis fuller. this album is solid from start to finish, with a good mix of tempos and great songs.

Another excellent Sonny Clark Bluenote album, not as tight perhaps as Cool Struttin' or as rhapsodic as Leapin' and Lopin', but a loose, swinging air of conviviality pervades throughout. Things are enlivened by the presence of John Coltrane, as well as the superb Curtis Fuller on trombone. On the whole this album strikes me as better than both the eponymous Trio and Dial 'S' if not quite the equal of Cool Struttin' or Leapin' and Lopin'---but then, Clark's sinewy lines and lucid sense of swing never fail to satisfy. One wonders if the folks who program the Bluenote "Connoisseur" series will next reissue The Sonny Clark Trio, with all the alternate takes at the end. Hope so.

sonny clark one the jazz,s un song heroes,great pianist/composer chose he best players to see his project through.Trane,chambers,byrd ,fuller,art taylor , swing ing forever

Along with "Cool Strutt'ng" with Art Farmer & Jackie McLean, "Sonny's Crib" is the best representation of '50's hard bop jazz. And what a line-up, Coltrane and Curtis Fuller appearing together again, one month after the classic "Blue Train" along with Donald Byrd and Art Taylor providing a great group!! There's at least over 70 minutes of great sounds along with 2 takes of "Speak Low" in which Trane really shines and of course, the smooth, loping piano of Sonny Clark. One can see why fellow musician and friend Bill Evans wrote a tune for him after he died, there's grace and elegance in his touch. Recommended for hard bop fans and Clark/Coltrane fans also!!

Another excellent Sonny Clark Bluenote, not as tight perhaps as Cool Struttin' or as rhapsodic as Leapin' and Lopin', but a loose, swinging air of conviviality pervades throughout. Things are enlivened by the presence of John Coltrane, as well as Curtis Fuller on trombone. Though Fuller also appeared on Dial "S" For Sonny, his playing sounds better here, perhaps because the interplay with Coltrane is a cut above. With all the room that the soloists are given to stretch out, things still never become dull or pro forma (as they sometimes can in these 'blowing sessions'). Clark's sinewy lines and lucid sense of swing never fail to satisfy. One wonders if the folks who program the Bluenote "Connoisseur" series will next reissue the Sonny Clark Trio album, with all the alternate takes at the end. Hope so.

i was at rod baltimore's, a music store on 48th and bway in manhattan when a guy worki ng there asked me what i was lisening to on my CD player. i said "coltrane" and he told about this CD and how many coltrane fans have never even heared of it. i went out and bought it, and wow.. this is a great CD

Sonny clark was a typical be-bop pianist, nothing too special. The great thing about him is that he always found the best sidemen and they more or less made the session what it is. Clark's sessions were so effective because he cut the fancy tricks and put in simple but strong arrangments. The first song, "With a song in my Heart", is a standard played at a very fast tempo somewhere near 300 quarter notes per minute. It is a great jam tune where the soloist can really dig in. "Speak Low" features Trane with Fuller and Byrd playing backround. The tune has a nice groove tempo with a full-sounding solo from Trane. The Ballad features Curtis Fuller who is unbelievably able to keep up. You can compare "sonny's Crib" to "Blue Train" and you might think almost all the same musicians so It'll most likely be just as good. Neither are better than the other but they are very different albums. The title tune is a slow-burning blues with a lot of space for the whole crew. Sonny's crib is Top notch five star Jazz.