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Description:
It is some jazz musicians fate to be better known after their
death then they were during their lifetime, to be considered a
legend today when they were actually overshadowed by others during
their prime. Sonny Clark, who died in January 1963 at the age
of 31 due to self-abuse was well documented during 1957-62 but
he never achieved the headlines of Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson
and Dave Brubeck, to name just three more famous pianists from
the time. Blue Note fans have always known about Clark since he
led seven superb albums for the label. Fans of Bud Powell knew
that Clark was one of his top disciples, and collectors of Buddy
DeFranco's records of the early 1950s were aware of his contributions
to the clarinetist's recordings. But to a general public that
bought Erroll Garner and George Shearing records, Sonny Clark
was an unknown name. It was not until after his death that the
music world seemed to finally realize what it had lost. On Leapin
And Lopin, his last recording as a leader, Clark for the first
and only time leads a quintet featuring trumpeter Tommy Turrentine
and tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse. The pianist introduces a
few of his final originals, takes many sparkling solos, and is
heard at the peak of his powers, carving out his place in jazz
history. This is timeless music and, although Sonny Clark may
have been taken for granted during his life, he is now rightfully
considered one of jazz's irreplaceable immortals.