Sonny Clark was an elegant jazz pianist who recorded in the hard bop era and was influenced primarily by Bud Powell, though there's a touch of Horace Silver in his punctuation. Clark was a sideman on many important albums, including recordings by Buddy DeFranco, Serge Chaloff, Frank Rosolino, Sonny Criss, Howard Rumsey, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Tina Brooks, Jackie McLean, Grant Green, Dexter Gordon and many others. Surprisingly, he recorded only 10 studio leadership albums.
Among his finest album as a leader was Sonny Clark Trio, recorded in New York for the Time label in January 1960. While the entire album of Clark originals is a lyrical feast, Junka qualifies as an electrifying track. On the song, Clark moves catlike on the keyboard, springing with agility and landing softly in just the right places. Dig the feathery, hushed quality of his left hand as his right runs defiantly along the top. Bill Evans admired Clark's taste, his left hand and fluidity of his right. Buddy DeFranco loved Clark's ability to deftly unspool ribbons of beautiful improvisation.
Joining Clark on Junka: bassist George Duvivier and drummer Max Roach, on brushes. Sonny Clark died in 1963 at age 31.
Here's Junka...
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Sonny Clark Trio here.
The album also is on Spotify.
JazzWax note: To read my two-part interview with Buddy DeFranco on Sonny Clark, go here. Remember, the link to Part 2 can be found above the red date at the top of Part 1.
