Sonny Clark Trio - Sonny Clark Trio [Blue Note Tone Poet Series]

In the summer of 1957, Sonny Clark returned to Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, for the third time in three months, this time stripping the session down to a piano trio. The result was Sonny Clark Trio, recorded for Blue Note and featuring bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, two of the most in-demand rhythm players of the era. Presented without horns for the first time, the six-track set places Clark's pianism squarely at the center, showcasing both his bebop dexterity and his gift for lyrical ballad playing.

The album opens with a blistering reading of Dizzy Gillespie's "Be-Bop," establishing Clark's technical command immediately. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" shifts into a medium-tempo swing that draws out the warmth in his touch, while "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise" and the closing "I'll Remember April" demonstrate how naturally Clark moved between hard-driving bop and deep, inventive lyricism. Chambers and Jones anchor every moment with an ease that sounds almost effortless.

This Tone Poet Audiophile Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket. The stereo mix reflects the early ping-pong recording techniques of the era, with instruments spread wide across the channels, which is a characteristic of the original 1957 session rather than a flaw in the reissue.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout Tracks: "Be-Bop," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise"
• Pressing Details: Blue Note Tone Poet Audiophile Series, Produced by Joe Harley, Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the Original Analog Master Tapes, Pressed at RTI, Deluxe Gatefold Tip-On Jacket, Stereo
• Genre/Style: Hard Bop, Bebop, Jazz Standards, Piano Jazz, Post-Bop
• UPC: 602438798353

Sonny Clark Trio is a gem from one of Blue Note's most creative periods, and the Tone Poet treatment gives it the presentation this recording has long deserved.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Be-Bop
2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
3. Two Bass Hit

Side B:

1. Tadd's Delight
2. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
3. I'll Remember April