Sonny's Crib is a studio album by the jazz pianist Sonny Clark. It was released through Blue Note Records in March 1958.[1][2][3] The sextet assembled for the recording session consists of horn players Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, and John Coltrane and rhythm section Paul Chambers and Art Taylor.[6] The first half of the album comprises three jazz standards, while the second half contains two original compositions by Clark. The recording was made on September 1, 1957.
| Sonny's Crib | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1958[1][2][3] | |||
| Recorded | September 1, 1957 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio Hackensack, NJ | |||
| Genre | Hard bop | |||
| Length | 44:18 | |||
| Label | Blue Note BLP 1576 | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Sonny Clark chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
Critical reception
The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states, "Sonny's Crib is a phenomenal recording, one that opened the door to hard bop becoming the norm in the late '50s, and one that drew deft, imaginative performances from all its players".[7]
Critic Reid Thompson compared the album favorably to Coltrane's Blue Train (recorded two weeks later), seeing them as the epitome of the Blue Note sound in the late 1950s.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "With a Song in My Heart" | 7:54 | |
| 2. | "Speak Low" | 6:50 | |
| 3. | "Come Rain or Come Shine" | 7:29 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sonny's Crib" | Sonny Clark | 13:31 |
| 2. | "News for Lulu" | Clark | 8:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "With a Song in My Heart" (alternate take) | Rodgers | 8:47 |
| 7. | "Speak Low" (alternate take) |
| 6:57 |
| 8. | "Sonny's Crib" (alternate take) | Clark | 9:56 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Sonny Clark – piano
- Donald Byrd – trumpet
- Curtis Fuller – trombone
- John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
- Paul Chambers – bass
- Art Taylor – drums
Technical personnel
- Alfred Lion – producer
- Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer, mastering
- Reid Miles – design
- Francis Wolff – photography
- Leonard Feather – liner notes