Sonny Clark
Birth name Conrad Yeatis Clark
Born July 21, 1931
Herminie, Pennsylvania, United States
Died January 13, 1963 (aged 31)
New York City, New York, United States
Genres Jazz, hard bop
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Piano
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 east of Pittsburgh. His parents were originally from Stone Mountain, Georgia.His miner father, Emory Clark, died of a lung disease two weeks after Sonny was born. Sonny was the youngest of eight children. At age 12, he moved to Pittsburgh.
Later life and career
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 United States 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 in New York City; the official cause was listed as a heart attack, but the likely cause was a heroin overdose.
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 Sonny Criss
Go Man! (Imperial Records, 1956)
Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter (Imperial, 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)
Landslide (1962)
With Bennie Green
Soul Stirrin’ (1958)
The 45 Session (1958)
Bennie Green Swings the Blues (1959)
Bennie Green (1960)
With Grant Green[6]
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 Sonny Rollins
The Sound of Sonny (1957)
With Frank Rosolino
I Play Trombone (1956)
With Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse
Mexican Passport (1956)
Music for Lighthousekeeping (1956)
Oboe/Flute (1956)
With Louis Smith
Smithville (1958)
With Stanley Turrentine
Stan “The Man” Turrentine (Time, 1960 [1963])
Jubilee Shout!!! (1962)
With Don Wilkerson
Preach Brother! (1962)