Sonny Phillips

Sonny Phillips ( born December 7, 1936 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American soul jazz musician ( Hammond organ, piano ), composer and music educator.

Life and work

Phillips began under the influence of the music of Jimmy Smith with the organ playing, studied for a time music education at DePaul University in Chicago, where he had private lessons with Ahmad Jamal. In the 1960s and 1970s, he played with Eddie Harris, then in New York City with Lou Donaldson, Nicky Hill, Houston Person ( Goodness! ) and Gene Ammons ( The Boss Is Back ). In 1969, his debut album for Prestige Records; it was followed by a number of other LPs until he retired in 1980 caused by a cancer of the music scene. In the early 1970s he converted to Islam and has also performed under the name Jalel Rushdan. He lived in Los Angeles and San Diego, where he still occasionally appeared and taught. Phillips had also been recordings by Rusty Bryant, Billy Butler, Ivan " Boogaloo Joe" Jones, Willis Jackson, Etta Jones and Bernard Purdie in the course of his career.

Phillips was also active as a composer; he wrote the numbers Sure Nuff, Sure Nuff and Make It Plain, as well as Houston Person Kittatian Carnaval and preachin 'and teachin '.

Discography

• Sure 'Nuff ( Prestige, 1969)
• Black Magic ( Prestige, 1970)
• Black on Black ( Prestige, 1970)
• My Black Flower ( Muse, 1976)
• I Concentrate on You ( Muse, 1977)