Sonny's Crib

Sonny's Crib
Studio album by Sonny Clark
Released	Mid March 1958[1]
Recorded	September 1, 1957 Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack
Genre	Hard bop
Length	44:18
Label	Blue Note BLP 1576
Producer	Alfred Lion
Sonny Clark chronology
Dial "S" for Sonny (1957) Sonny's Crib (1957) Sonny Clark Trio (1957)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

Sonny's Crib is an album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark recorded for the Blue Note label. It features Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor.^[3] The first half of the album comprises three jazz standards, while the second half contains two original compositions by Clark. The album is often compared to Coltrane's Blue Train, recorded a fortnight later which features Fuller and Chambers, as the epitome of the Blue Note sound in the late 1950s.^[4]

Critical reception

Sonny's Crib was awarded 3½ stars by Thom Jurek in an Allmusic review which stated "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".^[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Sonny Clark except as indicated

1. "With a Song in My Heart" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 7:54
2. "Speak Low" (Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash) - 6:50
3. "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 7:29
4. "Sonny's Crib" - 13:31
5. "News for Lulu" - 8:34
6. "With a Song in My Heart" [alternate take] (Rodgers) - 8:47 Bonus track on CD
7. "Speak Low" [alternate take] (Weill, Nash) - 6:57 Bonus track on CD
8. "Sonny's Crib" [alternate take] - 9:56 Bonus track on CD

Personnel

• Sonny Clark - piano
• Donald Byrd - trumpet
• Curtis Fuller - trombone
• John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
• Paul Chambers - bass
• Art Taylor - drums

Production

• Alfred Lion - producer
• Reid Miles - design
• Rudy Van Gelder - engineer
• Francis Wolff - photography

References