Sonny Clark – The Art of the Trio (Tone Poet Vinyl Series)

Sonny Clark was perhaps the quintessential hard bop pianist, possessed of an unfailingly swinging style that was imbued with grace and sophistication. His own compelling original compositions were heard on numerous late-1950s Blue Note classics including the sextet/quintet sessions Dial ‘S’ For Sonny, Sonny’s Crib, and Cool Struttin’, but Clark also recorded a series of sublime piano trio dates for Blue Note that focused entirely on standards from the Great American Songbook and leading jazz composers of the day as heard on the new 2-LP set The Art Of The Trio. Recorded in October 1957 with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, the album Sonny Clark Trio was released in the Spring of 1958 as BLP 1569, after which Clark would return to Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack studio twice later that year to reprise the trio format, in November with bassist Jymie Merritt and drummer Wes Landers, and again in December with Chambers and Landers. Those recordings, along with alternate takes from the Sonny Clark Trio session, would later be released in Japan as Blues In The Night and The Art Of The Trio, and are compiled into a single vinyl package for the first time here along with a booklet featuring new liner notes by Syd Schwartz, original liner notes by Ben Sidran and Bob Porter, and never-before-seen photos by Francis Wolff.

Blue Note Tone Poet Series

The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series was born out of Blue Note President Don Was’ admiration for the exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters. Was brought Joe Harley, a.k.a. the “Tone Poet,” on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels.

Extreme attention to detail has been paid to getting these right in every conceivable way, from the jacket graphics and printing quality to superior LP mastering (direct from the master tapes) by Kevin Gray to superb 180g audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is IT.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket with a booklet.

Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Can’t We Be Friends (James, Swift)
2. I Cover The Waterfront (Green, Heyman)
3. Somebody Loves Me (Gershwin, DeSylva, MacDonald)
4. Blues In The Night (Arlen, Mercer) 

Side B:
1. All Of You (Porter)
2. Dancing In The Dark (Scwartz, Dietz)
3. Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You* (alt take) (Razaf, Redman)
4. Blues In The Night (alt take) (Arlen, Mercer) 

Side C:
1. Tadd’s Delight** (alt take) (Tadd Dameron)
2. Two Bass Hit** (alt take) (J. Lewis, D. Gillespie)
3. I Didn’t Know What Time It Is** ((alt take) (R. Rodgers, L. Hart)
4. Ain’t No Use* (S. Wyche, L. Kirkland) 

Side D:
1. Black Velvet* (Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Mundy)
2. I’m Just A Lucky So And So* (Mack David, Duke Ellington)
3. Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You* (Razaf, Redman)
4. The Breeze and I* (Camarata, Lecuona, Stillman)
5. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love* (McHugh, Fields)