Sonny Greenwich

Sonny Greenwich ( born January 1, 1936 in Hamilton, Ontario ) is a Canadian guitarist of modern jazz.

Life and work

Sonny Greenwich began his musical career in Toronto in 1965 and moved to New York City, where he played in the jazz club the Village Gate with saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Greenwich's reputation brought him to the attention of John Handy, the 1966/67, to Seattle, San Francisco and New York went on tour with him. During this period Greenwich worked with on the album Third Season ( Blue Note Records) by Hank Mobley.

In 1968, Sonny Greenwich formed his own quartet with pianist Teddy Saunders, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Jack DeJohnette, with whom he performed at New York's Village Vanguard. In December 1969, Greenwich played with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Tony Williams at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto. The following year, the band was the opening act of Greenwich Miles Davis ' appearance in Toronto. Greenwich also worked with Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Sun Ra. In the 1990s, worked on his albums Kenny Wheeler ( Kenny & Sonny ) and Paul Bley as a guest musician. With Bley he stepped before the recording on the Jazz Festival in Montreal.

Greenwich is one of the major Canadian jazz musicians; in the Canadian Book of Lists he is known as one of the " 10 best Canadian jazz musicians of all time ." In 2006, was honored for his contribution to the culture of the Order of Canada Order of Canada.

Discography (selection)

• Sonny Greenwich / Ed Bickert Quartet: Days Gone By ( Sackville, 1979)
• Sonny Greenwich Quartet: Bird of Paradise (Justin Time Records, 1986)
• Standard Idioms ( Kleo, 1991/ 92)
• Hymn to the Earth ( Kleo, 1994), Spitit in the Air ( Kleo, 1995)
• Paul Bley / Sonny Greenwich: Outside In ( Justin Time, 1994)
• Sonny Greenwich / Marilyn Lerner: Special Angel (CBC, 2003)