Sonny's Crib is a studio album by the jazz pianist Sonny Clark. It was released through Blue Note Records in March 1958. The sextet assembled for the recording session consists of horn players Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, and John Coltrane and rhythm section Paul Chambers and Art Taylor.Sonny Clark discography accessed December 21, 2009. The first half of the album comprises three jazz standards, while the second half contains two original compositions by Clark. The recording was made on September 1, 1957.
Critical reception
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states, "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".Jurek, T. [ Allmusic Review] accessed December 21, 2009.
Critic Reid Thompson compared the album favorably to Coltrane's Blue Train (recorded two weeks later), seeing them as the epitome of the Blue Note sound in the late 1950s.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians Sonny Clark – piano Donald Byrd – trumpet Curtis Fuller – trombone John Coltrane – tenor saxophone Paul Chambers – bass Art Taylor – drums
Technical personnel Alfred Lion – producer Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer, mastering Reid Miles – design Francis Wolff – photography Leonard Feather – liner notes
References