Artist picture of Sonny Clark

Sonny Clark

2 743 fans

Listen to all of Sonny Clark's tracks on Deezer

Artist's top tracks

Somebody Loves Me Sonny Clark 04:17
Black Velvet Sonny Clark 03:23
Blue Minor Sonny Clark 10:19
Deep In A Dream Sonny Clark 06:42
Somethin' Special Sonny Clark 06:19
Cool Struttin' Sonny Clark 09:23
Dial S For Sonny Sonny Clark 07:26
Speak Low Sonny Clark, John Coltrane 06:50
Midnight Mambo Sonny Clark 07:12
Melody For C Sonny Clark 07:50

Most popular release

New releases from Sonny Clark on Deezer

Junka
Blues Blue
Minor Meeting
Royal Flush

Popular albums

Most popular albums from Sonny Clark

Similar artists

Find artists similar to Sonny Clark

Playlists

Playlists & music by Sonny Clark

Featured in

Listen to Sonny Clark on Deezer

For every mood

Biography

Sonny Clark – born Conrad Clark on July 21, 1931, in Herminie, Pennsylvania – was a jazz pianist best known for his work in the hard bop subgenre. He began learning the piano at the age of four, and studied vibraphone while in school. In 1945, he discovered jazz music after hearing Fats Waller and Art Tatum on the radio and seeing the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Count Basie Orchestra on TV. Deciding to pursue jazz piano, Sonny Clark moved to California in 1951 and performed with artists such as bassist Oscar Pettiford and clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, who mentored him and took him on international tours between 1953 and 1956. Following a stint accompanying singer Dinah Washington he moved to New York where he was in high demand as a sideman on recordings by a wide variety of avant-garde artists including Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, and Wilbur Ware. Sonny Clark made a name for himself as a solo artist with albums such as Dial ‘S’ for Sonny (1957), Sonny’s Crib (1958), Sonny Clark Trio (1958), Cool Struttin’ (1958), and Leapin’ and Lopin’ (1961). A longtime drug addict, Sonny Clark died on January 13, 1963, at the height of his career. Officially ruled a heart attack, rumors have circulated for decades that Sonny Clark died from a heroin overdose.