🎧 Listening to the Jazz Piano Trio Masterpiece [#260] Sonny Clark's 'Blues in the Night'
I'm just a guy who wants to introduce jazz piano trios.
Hello. I'm not a jazz expert or an advanced listener, but this is a series I started simply out of my love for piano trios. Let's learn about 'masterpieces of jazz piano trios' little by little together with me.
This time, I'd like to introduce **Sonny Clark**, a legendary pianist who continues to be loved by Japanese jazz fans even more passionately than in his home country of America, thanks to his sorrowful, bluesy touch and melodies overflowing with pathos. This work, 'Blues in the Night,' is a masterpiece of a pure piano trio with a strange fate: it was recorded in 1958 but remained unreleased for a long time, only seeing the light of day for the first time in Japan in 1979.
🎹 This album
Sonny Clark – Blues in the Night (Recorded in 1958 / Released in 1979)
This is a work recorded in December 1958, featuring Sonny Clark (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Wes Landers (drums). (*Jimmy Merritt handles bass on some of the additional sessions). Although it was a session recorded for the prestigious Blue Note label the year after his historic masterpiece 'Sonny Clark Trio,' it remained unreleased in the Blue Note vaults at the time. From the title track 'Blues in the Night' to 'Can't We Be Friends?' and 'I Cover the Waterfront,' the entire album is filled with sorrowful standards played with the unique soulfulness that only Clark could provide.
👂 Highlights
The 'Sorrowful Blues Feeling' that Japanese people love so much: The greatest charm of Sonny Clark's piano is the unique 'shadow' and 'blues sensibility' that permeates his tone. From the profound and lingering performance of the title track 'Blues in the Night,' he masterfully expresses a pathos akin to the Japanese concept of 'wabi-sabi'—never becoming too bright, but touching the heartstrings of the Japanese listener.
The 'Singing Bass' of master Paul Chambers: The participation of Paul Chambers, also known as the backbone of the Miles Davis band, makes this session even more special. His powerful yet melodic walking bass harmonizes perfectly with Clark's sorrowful piano, giving the trio a rich groove.
Wes Landers' 'Precise Support': Although Wes Landers did not have many recording opportunities, here he displays very solid drumming that respects the dialogue between piano and bass without ever being intrusive. His understated support makes Clark's beautiful solos stand out even more.
✍️ A brief comment
This is an album that makes you nod deeply, thinking, 'This is the sound that has been loved in Japanese jazz cafes.' While flashy, high-speed jazz is great, isn't this the kind of music you want to listen to carefully while drinking a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day or a quiet, long night? It is a hidden masterpiece that is hard to believe was left unreleased.
How was it? This marks the 260th installment of the 'Masterpieces of Jazz Piano Trio' series. I will continue to introduce even more wonderful works in the future, so please look forward to it!
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