Sonny Clark

Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom.

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.

Wishing to return to the east coast, Clark served as accompanist for singer Dinah Washington in February 1957 in order to relocate to New York City. In New York, Clark was often requested as a sideman by many musicians, partly because of his rhythmic comping. He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records, playing as a sideman with many 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 Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Billie Holiday, Stanley Turrentine, and Lee Morgan.

As a band leader, Clark recorded albums Dial "S" for Sonny (1957), Sonny's Crib (1957), Sonny Clark Trio (1957), with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' (1958). Sonny Clark Trio, with George Duvivier and Max Roach was released in 1960.

Clark died of a heart attack in New York City, although commentators attribute the early death to Clark's drug and alcohol abuse.

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). John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Ray Drummond, and Bobby Previte recorded an album of Clark's compositions, Voodoo (1985), as The Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet. Zorn also recorded several of Clark's compositions with Bill Frisell and George Lewis on News for Lulu (1988) and More News for Lulu (1992).

Discography

As leader

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

Compilations

• Standards (1998), Blue Note

As sideman

With Tina Brooks

• Minor Move (1958)

With Serge Chaloff

• Blue Serge (1956)

With Buddy DeFranco

• In a Mellow Mood (1954)
• Cooking the Blues (1955)
• Autumn Leaves (1956)
• Sweet and Lovely (1956)
• Jazz Tones (1956)

With Lou Donaldson

• Lou Takes Off (1957)

With Curtis Fuller

• Bone & Bari (1957)
• Curtis Fuller Volume 3 (1957)
• Two Bones (1958)

With Dexter Gordon

• Go (1962)
• A Swingin' Affair (1962)

With Bennie Green

• Soul Stirrin' (1958)
• The 45 Session (1958)
• Bennie Green Swings the Blues (1959)

With Grant Green

• Gooden's Corner (1961*)
• Nigeria (1962*)
• Oleo (1962*)

These albums were recorded in 1961-62 for Blue Note, but not released until 1980. They have since been reissued as The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark.

• Born to Be Blue (1962)

With Johnny Griffin

• The Congregation (1957)

With John Jenkins

• John Jenkins with Kenny Burrell (1957)

With Philly Joe Jones

• Showcase (Riverside, 1959)

With Clifford Jordan

• Cliff Craft (1957)

With Jackie McLean

• Jackie's Bag (1959)
• A Fickle Sonance (1961)
• Vertigo (1962)
• Tippin' the Scales (1962)

With Hank Mobley

• Poppin' (1957)
• Hank Mobley (1957)
• Curtain Call (1957)

With Lee Morgan

• Candy (1958)

With Ike Quebec

• Easy Living (1962)

With Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse

• Mexican Passport (1956)
• Music for Lighthousekeeping (1956)
• Oboe/Flute (1956)

With Louis Smith

• Smithville (1958)

With Stanley Turrentine

• Jubilee Shout!!! (1962)

With Don Wilkerson

• Preach Brother! (1962)

External links

• Sonny Clark -Pittsburgh Music History

Book sources

• 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.

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