Sonny Clark - Standards (1958) (20-bit SBM)

Sonny Clark - Standards (1958)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Blue Note | 20bit SBM

Allmusic:
The sessions that comprise the 14-track Standards were recorded by Sonny Clark at the end of 1958, with the intention that his interpretations would be issued as 45-rpm singles. His takes on these 12 standards (two of the tracks are alternate takes) are exceptional. Supported by drummer Wes Landers and, on varying dates, either Paul Chambers or Jymie Merritt on bass, Clark turns in lyrical, sensitive renditions of "Dancing In the Dark," "All of You," "I Cover the Waterfront," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Black Velvet" and "I'm Just a Lucky So And So," among others. Although some of the performances are a little brief, limiting his opportunity to solo, Standards is a lovely collection of beautiful music that's a welcome addition to Clark's catalog.

Tracks
-01. "Blues in the Night" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 5:53
-02 "Can't We Be Friends?" (Paul James, Kay Swift) - 4:15
-03 "Somebody Loves Me" (Buddy DeSylva, George Gershwin, Ballard MacDonald) - 4:14
-04 "All of You" (Cole Porter) - 3:52
-05 "Dancing in the Dark" (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz) - 3:27
-06 "I Cover the Waterfront" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) - 4:37
-07 "Blues in the Night" [alternate take] (Arlen, Mercer) - 7:11
-08 "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) - 3:57
-09 "Ain't No Use" (Leroy Kirkland, Sidney Wyche) - 4:45
-10 "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) - 3:48
-11 "Black Velvet" (Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Mundy) - 3:19
-12 "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So (Mack David, Duke Ellington) - 4:29
-13 "The Breeze and I" (Tutti Camarata, Ernesto Lecuona, Al Stillman) - 3:56
-14 "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" [alternate take] (Razaf, Redman) - 3:49
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ on September 1, 1957.

Personnel
* Sonny Clark - piano
* Jymie Merritt, Paul Chambers - bass
* Wes Landers - drums

sample & buy: Standards

Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' (1958) (DVD-A - XRCD - RVG)

Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' (1958)

DVD-Audio - XRCD - RVG

AMG:
Recorded in 1958, this legendary date with the still-undersung Sonny Clark in the leader's chair also featured a young Jackie McLean on alto (playing with a smoother tone than he had before or ever did again), trumpeter Art Farmer, and the legendary rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, both from the Miles Davis band. The set begins with one of the preeminent "swinging medium blues" pieces in jazz history: the title track with its leveraged fours and eights shoved smoothly up against the walking bass of Chambers and the backbeat shuffle of Jones. Clark's solo, with its grouped fifths and sevenths, is a wonder of both understatement and groove, while Chambers' arco solo turns the blues in on itself. While there isn't a weak note on this record, there are some other tracks that stand out, most notably Miles' "Sippin' at Bells," with its loping Latin rhythm. When McLean takes his solo against a handful of Clark's shaded minor chords, he sounds as if he may blow it -- he comes out a little quick -- but he recovers nicely and reaches for a handful of Broadway show tunes to counter the minor mood of the piece. He shifts to both Ben Webster and Lester Young before moving through Bird, and finally to McLean himself, riding the margin of the changes to slip just outside enough to add some depth in the middle register. The LP closes with Henderson and Vallée's "Deep Night," the only number in the batch not rooted in the blues. It's a classic hard bop jamming tune and features wonderful solos by Farmer, who plays weird flatted notes all over the horn against the changes, and McLean, who thinks he's playing a kind of snake charmer blues in swing tune. This set deserves its reputation for its soul appeal alone. [The CD version includes two bonus tracks: "Royal Flush" and "Lover"].

Tracks:
1. "Cool Struttin'" – 9:24
2. "Blue Minor" – 10:19
3. "Sippin' at Bells" – 8:19
4. "Deep Night" – 9:34
bonus tracks (rvg & xrcd only):
5. "Royal Flush" – 9:00[4]
6. "Lover" – 7:03

Personnel:
* Paul Chambers – bass
* Sonny Clark – piano
* Art Farmer – trumpet
* Philly Joe Jones – drums
* Jackie McLean – alto saxophone

DAD:
VIDEO_TS | LPCM Stereo 96/24 | iso-cover | "master tape sound"
Classic Records | 2000 | 1380mb
RVG:
24-bit remaster | eac-flac-log-cover
BN | 1999 | 415mb
XRCD:
XRCD24 | eac-flac-log-cover
BN-EMI | 2009 | 600mb

sample & buy  DVD-Audio (DAD)

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sample & buy XRCD

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