Cool Struttin'
Occupation
- Drums: Philly Joe Jones
- Trumpet: Art Farmer
- Alto Saxophone by Jackie McLean
- Piano: Sonny Clark
- Bass: Paul Chambers
Cool Struttin ' ( German about: cool swagger ) is a jazz album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark, which was published in 1958 by Blue Note
Background
The album is considered a milestone of the classic hard bop jazz with cult status. The album was recorded with the often underestimate Sonny Clark as leader and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Art Farmer and two members of the Miles Davis Quintet, drummer Philly Joe Jones and bassist Paul Chambers. Art Farmer and Jackie McLean had previously played a few years with Gene Ammons. Farmer previously played on the Clark Album Dial " S " For Sonny and Paul Chambers was already playing on Sonny 's Crib.
Clark had Paul Chambers met in Detroit in 1954; Philly Joe Jones learned Clark 1956 know only through his involvement with Miles Davis. Art Farmer had met in 1952 during sessions with Wardell Gray in Pasadena Sonny Clark. Although he was influenced by Miles Davis Farmer, he had developed his own distinctive style.
The title track is considered outstanding, bluesy piece of Jazz history and was inspired by Sonny Clark's wife. Clark said: I came to the name so to speak, by the way how the melody goes. It is a feeling as if someone strutting .... It is a 24 bar blues, 12 and then 12.
The album was released in 1958 as an LP on Blue Note and has since released several times on CD.
Reviews
The album was recorded mostly positive to enthusiastic applause by the audience and critics. Allmusic awarded five out of five stars, Jazz.com awarded 92 out of 100. All About Jazz called the album " one of the greatest Blue Note albums of all time. "
Richard Cook and Brian Morton, who awarded the album in their Penguin Guide to Jazz the highest rating, describe it as one of the most recommended albums of the pianist; it was one of the " works of the hard bop ".