The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark cover

The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark

Recorded
1961-1962
Released

In December 1961 and January 1962, guitarist Grant Green, pianist Sonny Clark, and bassist Sam Jones recorded three albums’ worth of material — two featuring drummer Louis Hayes, and one with Art Blakey. Blue Note shelved all three, finally releasing them as Gooden’s Corner, Nigeria, and Oleo in 1980…but only in Japan. This two-CD set, which offers three additional tracks, was assembled in 1997. Green’s stinging guitar lines were perfectly complemented by Clark’s bluesy, rhythmic chords and subtle but focused solos. The key track is the 10-minute “It Ain’t Necessarily So”; the guitarist sends sheets of flame up the walls, as Blakey shouts encouragement from behind the kit.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Astigmatic cover

Astigmatic

Komeda Quintet
Crisis cover

Crisis

Louis Hayes
2GETHER cover

2GETHER

Warren Vaché, Bill Charlap
Reincarnation cover

Reincarnation

Warren Wolf
Lost cover

Lost

Adam Kolker
Philip Cohran & the Artistic Heritage Ensemble cover

Philip Cohran & the Artistic Heritage Ensemble

Philip Cohran & the Artistic Heritage Ensemble
Brown Sugar cover

Brown Sugar

Freddie Roach
Drum Ode cover

Drum Ode

David Liebman