Hard bop pianist Sonny Clark is no stranger to Mosaic Records. He was a sideman on three classic units previously reissued, one with Buddy DeFranco , another with Tina Brooks, and the last alongside Grant Green. In this limited edition, six cd set, you finally get to hear what Clark (in his all too brief career) was capable of doing out in front, much of the time in a trio (with a feel akin to Horace Silver, highly influenced by the torrid right hand and rhythmic left of pioneer Bud Powell) but also with some hip small group sessions. Clark spent most of his time one of the “house” pianists for Blue Note Records, when Blue Note was, well Blue Note, with a supporting cast of all stars coming in and out of sessions like actors in an Agatha Christie novel. Dig in and dig it!
The discs of the trio sessions start from 1957, with a bopping session with Clark teamed with Miles Davis alumni Paul Chambers/b and Philly Joe Jones/dr. Clark is clear and crisp on “Two Bass Hit” and sears through “Tadd’s Delight”, showing lyricism on “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was”. Clark is found in 1958 with Jymie Merritt/b and Wes Landers/dr for a bluesy read of “ Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You” and a rich take of Duke Ellington’s “I’m Just A Lucky So and So” , with Chambers replacing Merritt a few months later for a session that delightfully interprets standards like “Somebody Loves Me” and a rich and romantic “All Of You”. The interplay here sounds like a long term working unit, anticipating each other’s moves.
The small group sessions vary in size and artists, making for some of the best get togethers of the mid fifties on Blue Note. There are a series of truly classic sessions put together here, the first one being a ’57 joining together with Art Farmer/tp, Curtis Fuller/tb, Hank Mobley/ts, Wilbur Ware/b and Louis Hayes/dr that could pass for a vintage Art Blakey session, with hard hitting pieces like “Dial ‘S’ For Sonny” and “Shoutin’ Out On Riff”, with a trio take of “Love Walked In” a classy outing.
A rare find is a 1957 recording that is one of the last times John Coltrane served as a sideman outside of Miles Davis, along with a front line of Curtis Fuller/tb, John Coltrane/ts, Paul Chambers/b and Art Taylor/dr, with Coltrane in bold form on “Sonny’s Crib” and Byrd flying high for “News for Lulu”. Next year Clark mixes things up bringing in drummer Pet La Roca, along with guitarist Kenny Burrell, tenor saxist Clifford Jordan and retaining Chambers that includes tasty treats like “Minor Meeting” and “Eastern Incident”. Also in 1958, Clark keeps the Davis rhythm section of Chambers/b and Jones/dr and brings in Art Farmer/tp and the bright alto of Jackie McLean for a simmering “Blue Minor” and big back-beating “Cool Struttin’”.
In what could easily be mistaken for a Jazz Messenger session, Clark brings in drummer Art Blakey along with Donald Byrd/tp, Hank Mobley/ts and Paul Chambers/b, with Mobley in smoking form on “Blues Blue” and Royal Flush”. Last but not least, Clark leaps and lopes with a section of Billy Higgins/dr and Butch Warren/b with a front line of either the smoky tenor of Ike Quebec on “Deep In A Dream” or Tommy Turrentine/tp and a pre-Monk Charlie Rouse/tp on a rollicking “Midnight Mambo” and exotic “Voodoo”.
Clark only lived a few more years after these sessions, playing as pianist for Dinah Washington a bit before dying at the young age of 31 of a heart attack. This boxed set includes a handful of alternate takes, with some tunes only available on Japanese releases; anything by this always reliable and inspiring pianist is worth swooping up and savoring.