Review by Michael G. Nastos
The first officially recorded date from an ensemble led by the brilliant jazz pianist Sonny Clark is an interesting prelude to his subsequent classic efforts for the Blue Note label. After leaving his home near Pittsburgh, moving to Los Angeles and finishing work as a sideman with Wardell Gray, Oscar Pettiford, and Buddy DeFranco, Clark lived in the Northern California Bay area of San Francisco, and led this obscure trio of bassist Jerry Good and drummer Al Randall. Recorded in performance at the Mocambo Club in Oakland in mid-January 1955, it is an historical document for fans of Clark who might want to hear the pianist at a time when he was happy -- not doing the drugs that destroyed his life and career -- and in a freewheeling mood playing standards. Clearly influenced by Bud Powell's virtuosity, Clark shows he has all of the chops, inventiveness, and speed to burn that made him one of the most impressive pianists of the hard bop era. The production values are thin, though, especially Randall's drumming, which hurts the overall quality of the sound, but Clark's piano still reigns supreme, and it takes him little time to warm up. As deft as his fleet lines are, the feeling of the music is relaxed in tempo and development. It is not until the third tune, "There Will Never Be Another You," that the trio brings the beat to a boil, and Clark shows off with flurries of arpeggios, but not staggeringly so. A take of the basic, happy blues of John Lewis' "D & E" lopes along, while "All the Things You Are" sports a slight calypso refrain. The rest of the program is distinguished by classic bop tunes, and Randall's scratchy snare drum. The loose snare is distracting, and sounds like a supplemental percussion instrument. The band does kick into another gear, using tight and frequent stop-start techniques on the melody of "Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea," while Clark unleashes his power during "But Not for Me" and Dizzy Gillespie's stretched-out "Night in Tunisia." There's a wow in the tape recording for the intro of "All the Things," some poor microphone placements on the drums causing the sonic imbalance, with Randall sounding tired or less inspired in the second half. Randall died a decade after these recordings, and Clark spent only eight more years playing brilliant jazz before losing his battle with drug addiction, while Good went on to a career in music as a player and accountant for the local musician's union. This LP, while definitely flawed, gives a clear indication of what the pianist had to offer when the moment was somewhat right.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/oakland-1955-mw0000648460
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Reseña de Michael G. Nastos
La primera fecha oficialmente grabada de un conjunto dirigido por el brillante pianista de jazz Sonny Clark es un interesante preludio de sus posteriores esfuerzos clásicos para el sello Blue Note. Después de dejar su hogar cerca de Pittsburgh, trasladarse a Los Ángeles y terminar de trabajar como sideman con Wardell Gray, Oscar Pettiford y Buddy DeFranco, Clark vivió en la zona de la bahía del norte de California, en San Francisco, y lideró este oscuro trío con el bajista Jerry Good y el baterista Al Randall. Grabado en el Mocambo Club de Oakland a mediados de enero de 1955, es un documento histórico para los fans de Clark que quieran escuchar al pianista en un momento en el que era feliz - sin consumir las drogas que destruyeron su vida y su carrera - y en un estado de ánimo libre tocando estándares. Claramente influenciado por el virtuosismo de Bud Powell, Clark demuestra que tiene todas las habilidades, la inventiva y la velocidad que lo convirtieron en uno de los pianistas más impresionantes de la era del hard bop. Sin embargo, los valores de producción son escasos, especialmente la batería de Randall, lo que perjudica la calidad general del sonido, pero el piano de Clark sigue reinando, y tarda poco en calentarse. Por muy hábiles que sean sus líneas de flotación, la sensación de la música es relajada en cuanto a tempo y desarrollo. No es hasta la tercera melodía, "There Will Never Be Another You", cuando el trío lleva el ritmo a un punto de ebullición, y Clark se luce con ráfagas de arpegios, pero no de forma asombrosa. Una toma del blues básico y alegre de "D & E" de John Lewis avanza a trompicones, mientras que "All the Things You Are" luce un ligero estribillo calipso. El resto del programa se distingue por las melodías clásicas de bop, y la rasposa caja de Randall. La caja suelta distrae, y suena como un instrumento de percusión suplementario. La banda se pone en marcha, utilizando técnicas de parada y arranque en la melodía de "Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea", mientras que Clark da rienda suelta a su poder durante "But Not for Me" y la estirada "Night in Tunisia" de Dizzy Gillespie. Hay un wow en la grabación de la cinta para la introducción de "All the Things", algunas malas colocaciones de los micrófonos en la batería causan el desequilibrio sonoro, con Randall sonando cansado o menos inspirado en la segunda mitad. Randall murió una década después de estas grabaciones, y Clark pasó sólo ocho años más tocando un jazz brillante antes de perder su batalla contra la adicción a las drogas, mientras que Good siguió una carrera en la música como músico y contador del sindicato local de músicos. Este LP, aunque definitivamente defectuoso, da una clara muestra de lo que el pianista tenía que ofrecer cuando el momento era algo adecuado.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/oakland-1955-mw0000648460
1 - What's New - 7:11
2 - Willow Weep For Me - 6:26
3 - There Will Never Be Another You - 6:46
4 - D & E - 5:19
5 - All The Things You Are - 4:13
6 - But Not For Me - 5:13
7 - Bags' Groove - 5:13
8 - You Go To My Head - 5:48
9 - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea - 7:48
10 - A Night In Tunisia - 8:46
11 - Ow - 6:07
12 - Theme - 3:11
Credits:
Bass, Recorded By – Jerry Good
Design – Turcotte Moumouris Inc.
Drums – Al Randall
Liner Notes – Bob Blumenthal
Photography By [Clark Insert Photo] – Chuck Stewart
Photography By [Cover Photograph] – William Claxton
Piano – Sonny Clark
Producer – David A. Sunenblick, Robert E. Sunenblick, M.D.
Transferred By – Jack Towers, Roger Seibel
Notes:
Recorded on January 13, 1955, Mocambo Club, Oakland, CA.
Label: Uptown Records – UPCD 27.40
Series: Flashback Series –
Released: 1995
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop
https://www.discogs.com/Sonny-Clark-Oakland-1955/release/3689253
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