Sonny Sharrock

Sonny Sharrock ( born August 27, 1940 in Ossining, New York, † May 25, 1994 ) was an American jazz guitarist.

Sharrock began his musical career in 1953 as a singer in a doo wop group, before he switched to the guitar in 1960. In 1965 he went to New York, where he first worked with Byard Lancaster and Babatunde Olatunji. In 1966 he was involved in the recording of the album Tawheed by Pharoah Sanders, where he stayed until 1968. He then joined up with Don Cherry and his Eternal Rhythm at the Berlin Jazz Festival and was a member of Herbie Mann's group. 1969 he recorded his first album as a leader. Miles Davis took him to the recordings to A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Following the resignation of H. 's group in 1972 and a tour ( by U.S. and Europe) with his then-wife Linda Sharrock was initially hardly active in the scene. He worked at this time as a taxi driver and carers of mentally handicapped children.

In 1986 he became a member of the initiated by Bill Laswell Jazz Noise group Last Exit, with whom he went on a world tour and several albums grossed. 1991 appeared with Ask the Ages might be important album on which he can be heard with Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. Also the soundtrack to the cartoon talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which he had completed shortly before his sudden death in 1994, became known.

Sharrock is one of the first guitarists who implemented the Free Jazz on their instrument. Unlike Attila Zoller he also played non- tonal and continued feedback and distortion a consistently. But not until the end of his life he received its due recognition from critics and the public. His debut album Black Woman was included in the list Wire The Wire 's " 100 Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening ) " 1998.

Discography (selection)

  • Black Woman with Linda Sharrock, Dave Burrell, Norris Jones, Milford Graves, Ted Daniel, Richard Pierce, Gary Sharrock, Vortex, 1969
  • The Green Line with Steve Marcus, Miroslav Vitouš, Daniel Humair, 1970
  • Monkey- Pockie -Boo with Linda Sharrock, Beb Guérin, Jacques Thollot ( BYG Actuel, 1970)
  • The Junk Sessions 1974
  • Paradise with Linda Sharrock, Dave Artis, Kenny Armstrong, Buddy Williams, Sonny Bonillia, 1975
  • Improvised Music New York with Derek Bailey, Fred Frith, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Charles K. Noyes, 1981
  • Guitar, solo album in 1986
  • Last Exit with Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Peter Brötzmann, 1986
  • Cologne with Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Peter Brötzmann, 1986
  • The Noise of Trouble with Laswell, Shannon Jackson, Brötzmann, Herbie Hancock, Akira Sakata, 1986
  • From the boards with Laswell, Shannon Jackson, Brötzmann, 1987 ( Cassette, CD 1995)
  • Seize the Rainbow with Melvin Gibbs, Pheeroan akLaff, Abe Speller, Bill Laswell, 1987
  • Dance with Me, Montana with Ken Buchanan, Lavander Cope, 1987
  • Iron Path with Laswell, Shannon Jackson, Brötzmann, 1988
  • No material with Brötzmann, Ginger Baker, Nicky Skopelitis Jan Kazda, 1988
  • Live in New York with Melvin Gibbs, Pheeroan akLaff, Abe Speller, Dave Snyder, Ron Cartel, 1989
  • Headfirst Into The Flames with Laswell, Shannon Jackson, Brötzmann, 1989
  • High Life with Charles Baldwin, Abe Speller, Lance Carter, Dave Snyder, 1990
  • Faith Moves with Nicky Skopelitis, 1991
  • Ask the Ages with Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones, Charnett Moffett, 1991
  • Into Another Light, compiled by Nicky Skopelitis and Anton Fier
Ossining (village), New York Don Cherry (trumpeter) Jack Johnson (album) Derek Bailey (guitarist) Integrated Authority File
738725
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