SONNY CLARK – Four Classic Albums (Dial ‘s’ For Sonny / Sonny Clark Trio / Cool Struttin’ / Leapin’ And Lopin’) AVID

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Sonny Clark, complete with original artwork and liner notes.
“Dial “S” for Sonny”; “Sonny Clark Trio”; “Cool Struttin’” and “Leapin’ and Lopin’”
Considering he died from a heroin overdose at the tragically early age of 31 (a horribly familiar and classic jazz death, some would say!), Sonny Clark actually had an amazingly prolific career in jazz, both as a leader and a sideman. At age 20, he was in California working with Wardell Gray and by 1953 was touring the States and Europe with Buddy De Franco. He hooked up as accompanist to Dinah Washington in 1957 in order to get back to the East Coast where he thought the work was. He was right! He became the “go to” pianist for many of the greatest names in jazz at the time including Grant Green, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Burrell, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Billie Holiday and a great many more. Most of this work was done with the legendary Blue Note label and in fact all nine of his own solo albums were recorded for the label. Here we present four of the best!

CD1
1-6: ‘Dial “S” For Sonny’
1. Dial “S” For Sonny
2. Bootin’ It
3. It Could Happen To You
4. Sonny’s Mood
5. Shoutin’ On A Riff
6. Love Walked In
7-12: ‘Sonny Clark Trio’
7. Be-Bop
8. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
9. Two Bass Hit
10. Tadd’s Delight
11. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
12. I’ll Remember April

CD2
1-4: ‘Cool Struttin’’
1. Cool Struttin’
2. Blue Minor
3. Sippin’ At Bells
4. Deep Night
5-10: ‘Leapin’ and Lopin’’
5. Something Special
6. Deep In A Dream
7. Melody For C
8. Eric Walks
9. Voodoo
10. Midnight Mambo