BOOKLET

 

review by Lee Bloom

Of interest to fans of the superb hard bop pianist, this recording combines material from two separate dates. “Royal Flush” and “Lover” are from the January 1958 Cool Struttin’ session and are available domestically on the CD release of the same name. The remaining tunes, “Minor Meeting,” “Eastern Incident” and “Little Sonny,” were never released during Clark’s tragically short life — they are special for fans of Sonny, as they include guitarist Kenny Burrell. Clark rarely worked with a guitarist, although he recorded some wonderful material with Grant Green, Tal Farlow, and Jimmy Raney, three masterful players. His playing here never clashes harmonically or rhythmically with the guitar, a challenging feat for any jazz pianist. These three original tunes are also welcome additions to the consistently excellent body of work which Sonny Clark composed.

Sonny Clark – piano

Clifford Jordan – tenor saxophone (tracks 3-5)

Kenny Burrell – guitar (tracks 3-5)

Art Farmer – trumpet (tracks 1-2)

Jackie McLean – alto saxophone (tracks 1-2)

Paul Chambers – bass

Philly Joe Jones (tracks 1-), Pete LaRoca (tracks 3-5) – drums

Recorded December 8, 1957 & January 5, 1958

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack