Requisites

My Conception ~ Sonny Clark | By Eddie Carter

Sonny Clark enters this morning’s spotlight with a 1959 recording session that remained in the vault for two decades. My Conception (Blue Note GXF 3056) is a 1979 release that came out first in Japan and later as a 2000 CD album in the US. Clark was one of the label’s house pianists, recording some of his finest albums as a leader. He also appeared on numerous releases as a sideman. Here, Sonny is leading a stellar quintet in a program of his original tunes. Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. My copy is the 2021 Blue Note Tone Poet Series Stereo audiophile reissue (BST 22674).

Junka starts with the quintet’s upbeat melody. In the opening reading, Hank gets things going energetically, then Donald makes an impressive appearance. Sonny follows with a high-spirited statement next. Paul delivers a sparkling comment; then Art shares the last spot with the front line preceding the theme’s reprise. Blues Blue starts with the quintet’s danceable beat in the opening chorus. Mobley leads the way with an attractive reading, then Byrd comfortably swings into the next segment. Clark improvises the following message effectively, then Chambers’ inspired bass work comes. Blakey shares the final conversation with both horns ahead of the climax.

There’s nothing minor about the first side finale, Minor Meeting. Art calls the quintet together for their vivacious melody. Donald is off and running in the opening solo, then Hank soars to new heights in the following presentation. Sonny closes with a series of scintillating choruses leading to the finale. Side Two commences with Royal Flush, a toe-tapping medium groove that gets underway with the ensemble’s theme. Mobley goes to work first, followed by Clark’s thoroughly relaxed reading. Byrd is up next and is shown to good advantage, and Chambers takes the final stroll while Blakey keeps the beat into the quintet’s closing chorus.

The group enjoys Some Clark Bars next. After the group establishes the spirited melody, Hank leads the way in a terrific opening solo as tasty as the candy bar. Donald swings as hard in the following interpretation, and Sonny has a great turn in the third reading. Art finishes off the solos in a concise exchange, with the front line before the close. The title tune, My Conception, is a perfect example of Clark’s ability to compose a beautiful ballad. The rhythm section opens with a tender introduction until Mobley emerges to give an elegantly phrased theme and lead solo. Clark takes over to give a wonderfully warm statement, then Byrd concludes with a delicately expressed performance of soulful emotion.

Alfred Lion produced the initial session, and Rudy Van Gelder was the man behind the dials of the recording. Joe Harley supervised the audiophile reissue, and Kevin Gray remastered the album. The front and rear covers are high gloss, with great session photos inside the gatefold. The sound quality is sensational, with an exceptional soundstage. The instruments emerge from your speakers as if you’re in the studio with the musicians while they work. The record was pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, and it’s incredibly quiet until the music starts. If you’re in the mood for Hard-Bop, I invite you to check out My Conception by Sonny Clark the next time you’re out vinyl shopping. Despite being unreleased for so many years, it’s a great album that was well worth the wait and a joy to listen to!

~ My Conception (Blue Note Connoisseur Series 7243 5 22674 2 2) – Source: Discogs.com © 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter

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The Jazz Voyager

So after a jazz packed holiday weekend in Atlanta, this Jazz Voyager is leaving the gateway to the South and the States for destinations across the pond. It’s time to see how those on the continent and in other parts of the world are doing post pandemic.

It’s off to Italy to hang at one of my favorite spots TramJazz in Rome. It’s 7 days out of 7, a lively sound with carioca nuances alternating with passionate romantic ballads. The evening features Camilla Noci on Vocal & Percussion, Dario Troisi on piano and harmonium, and guitarist Gianluca Figliola.

What I love about this venue is it offers an evening of entertainment combining a jazz concert and an excellent candlelit dinner with a night tour in the center of Rome, all aboard a historic tram from the ATAC collection, restored and rearranged as a traveling restaurant and concert hall.

Tramjazz is located at Artour Sas of Rossella Taverna & C. – Via Giorgio Vasari 14, 00196 Rome – P.I. 16376741001. Tickets range from €75.00 ~ €90.00. You can reach the venue by phone at +39 342 072 0089 and can always get ticket information at https://tramjazz.com.

As the saying goes, When in Rome…

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Harry Alexander White was born on June 1, 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, he played drums, then switched to trombone after moving to Washington, D.C. around 1919. In the early Twenties he played with Duke Ellington, Elmer Snowden, and Claude Hopkins. Then in 1925 he formed the family band called the White Brothers Orchestra, which played the mid-Atlantic states for several years with regular gigs in New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Late in the 1920s, he played with Luis Russell, then joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in 1931. The following year he joined Cab Calloway’s orchestra, working as an arranger and composer in addition to his duties on trombone. One of Calloway’s trumpeters, Edwin Swayze, overheard Harry use the term “jitterbug”, and wrote a tune called The Jitterbug. Calloway’s 1934 recording of the song brought the term into widespread currency.

Returning to play with Russell in 1935 when the band was backing Louis Armstrong, he eventually quit playing for part of the Thirties decade. He would later perform with Manzie Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Edgar Hayes, and Bud Freeman.

Trombonist, pianist, saxophonist, arranger and composer Harry White, who was affectionately known as  Father White, transitioned on August 14, 1962 in New York City.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Joseph Samuel Thomas was born on May 31, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. As a child, he learned to play alto and soprano saxophone, trombone, flute and piano, and also taught himself how to write music. Encouraged by his older brother, he began performing in clubs from the age of fifteen and was ultimately noticed by James Moody.

After enlisting in the United States Army he received a Purple Heart during combat in the Korean War. Returning to the States, Joe performed with Specks Williams and joined Rhoda Scott’s Trio in the early 1960s.

Thomas recorded with organist Jimmy McGriff and released a dozen albums under his own name in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a sideman he also recorded five albums with Scott, and one each with Ambersunshower, Beck, Buddy Terry and Joe Tex.

Flutist, tenor saxophonist and bandleader Joe Thomas passed away in Orange, New Jersey at the age of 84 on July 26, 2017.

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QUARTET SAN FRANCISCO W/ GORDON GOODWIN

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