Sonny Clark Cool Struttin' (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) 180g LP

Michael Fremer Rated 10/10 Music, 10/10 Sound!

Conrad Yeatis Clark, otherwise known as Sonny Clark, was in many ways the quintessential hard bop pianist. Possessed of an enviable lyrical flow and a wealth of inventive melodic ideas that unfurled with clarity and without fuss, Clark had a deeply rooted feeling for the blues.

After moving from his hometown of Pittsburgh to New York, Clark emerged as a ubiquitous presence on Blue Note starting in 1957. It was on his fifth Blue Note date as a leader that Clark arrived at his masterwork, Cool Struttin', recorded in January 1958 with a top-shelf quintet featuring Art Farmer on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, Paul Chambers on bass, and 'Philly' Joe Jones on drums. The album has only grown in stature as a timeless hard bop classic since Clark's premature death at age 31 in 1963.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

This set deserves its reputation for its soul appeal alone.

The Hackensack living room recording October, 13th, 1957 is remarkable. Mic leakage puts you in the space, Rudy gets a clean, open sound from Philly Joe's drum kit and super-clean unusually nimble bass, but most remarkable is that Rudy delivers Clark's center stage piano as he rarely did in those days—excellent tonal balance, free of the typical 'honky' sound Rudy often produced in that room, with a dollop of distortion on top. There's none of that! Instead the piano sound is well balanced, sporting plenty of wood and the upfront mix also lets Clark's funky craft shine. Rudy caught a hard boppin' trio on fire that day playing standards and jazz classics capped by the 26 year old's sensitive solo take on the standard 'I'll Remember April'. Highly recommended for both music and stereo sound.