Sonny's Crib [Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition] [180g LP]

by Sonny Clark

Overview

Recorded in 1957, Sonny's Crib features a front line of Curtis Fuller, Donald Byrd, and John Coltrane with Sonny Clark on piano, Art Taylor on drums, and Paul Chambers on bass. Truly still a bebop recording, done a full year before the landmark Cool Struttin' session, nonetheless the set produced some awesome readings of classic tunes, like the opener, "With a Song in My Heart," with one of the knottiest Byrd solos ever. As Chambers and Taylor up the rhythmic ante and Clark comps with enormous chords in the background, the entire line solos, but it is Byrd's that is stunning in its complexity -- though Coltrane could play bebop as well as anybody. The most notable tracks on the session are the classic readings of Kurt Weill's "Speak Low" and "News for Lulu," the latter of which has been adopted by John Zorn as his theme. On the former, Clark's rearrangement, with Coltrane leading the front line, is truly revelatory. Using a Latin rhythm in cut time, Clark sets up a long, 22-note melody line that moves right into Trane's solo. He moves the key around and harmonically shifts gears as Clark follows and stays in the pocket for him while Trane uses the middle register for legato pyrotechnics. Fuller's next and covers over the blues inherent in the tune with pure swing, before Byrd brings it back into the fold with a gorgeous counterpoint of the melody. Clark taps his way into extended harmonics on the sixths and sharpens the accents as he trounces the original key and plays double trills to get back. The latter is a smokin' Latin take on the hard bop blues, with a staggered melodic line and a large tonal palette that gives the horn players room to explore the timbral possibilities of Clark's colors -- which are revealed in the loosest, skittering skein of bluesy phrasing this side of Horace Silver in his solo. In all, Sonny's Crib is a phenomenal recording, one that opened the door to hard bop becoming the norm in the late '50s, and one that drew deft, imaginative performances from all its players. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	09/19/2025
Label:	Blue Note Records
UPC:	0602468070092

Tracks

1. With A Song In My Heart
2. Speak Low
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
4. Sonny's Crib
5. News For Lulu

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sonny Clark   Primary Artist,Piano
Curtis Fuller   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Trombone
Donald Byrd   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Trumpet
John Coltrane   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Sax (Tenor),Featured Artist
Art Taylor   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Drums
Paul Chambers   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Bass

Technical Credits

Francis Wolff   Photography
Leonard Feather   Liner Notes
Lorenz Hart   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Ron McMaster   Mastering,Digital Transfers
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Michael Cuscuna   Producer,Liner Notes,Reissue Producer
Kurt Weill   Composer
Alfred Lion   Producer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Ogden Nash   Composer
Sonny Clark   Composer
Reid Miles   Cover Design,Design
Richard Rodgers   Composer