Dial "S" for Sonny is the debut studio album by American jazz pianist Sonny Clark recorded on July 21, 1957 and released on Blue Note later that year. The septet features horn section Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, and Hank Mobley and rhythm section Wilbur Ware and Louis Hayes.[4]
| Dial "S" for Sonny | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1957[1] | |||
| Recorded | July 21, 1957 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio Hackensack, NJ | |||
| Genre | Bop | |||
| Length | 40:55 | |||
| Label | Blue Note BLP 1570 | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Sonny Clark chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [3] |
Background edit
Title edit
The album title is an allusion to Frederick Knott's play Dial M for Murder, which was first produced in 1952 and then made into a successful film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954.
Reception edit
Critic John S. Wilson, in a contemporaneous review, remarked "Art Farmer contributes some crackling solos to Dial S for Sonny, ... but he has to fight a chomp-chomp rhythm section."[5]
The AllMusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine states, "Dial 'S' for Sonny, Sonny Clark's first session for Blue Note Records and his first session as a leader, is a terrific set of laidback bop, highlighted by Clark's liquid, swinging solos... Clark steals the show in this set of fine, straight-ahead bop."[6]
Track listing edit
- All compositions by Sonny Clark, except as indicated
- "Dial "S" for Sonny" – 7:26
- "Bootin' It" – 5:17
- "It Could Happen to You" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 6:59
- "Sonny's Mood" – 8:38
- "Shoutin' on a Riff" – 6:45
- "Love Walked In" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:50
- "Bootin' It" [Alternate Take] – 5:15 (CD bonus track)
Personnel edit
Musicians edit
- Sonny Clark – piano
- Art Farmer – trumpet (except "Love Walked In")
- Curtis Fuller – trombone (except "Love Walked In")
- Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone (except "Love Walked In")
- Wilbur Ware – bass
- Louis Hayes – drums
Technical personnel edit
- Alfred Lion – producer
- Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer
- Reid Miles – design
- Francis Wolff – photography
- Robert Levin – liner notes
Charts edit
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] | 147 |
References edit
- ^ Schwann Stereo Record Guide, 1966
- ^ Allmusic Review
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Sonny Clark discography accessed December 21, 2009.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (1959) The Collector's Jazz: Modern, p. 68. J. B. Lippincott.
- ^ Earlewine, S. T. Allmusic Review accessed December 21, 2009.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Sonny Clark – Dial %22S%22 for Sonny" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2022.