Great Players Sonny Criss

[Mack]

Can't believe I haven't stumbled across this player before - my main man has always been Cannonball for his bluesy playing - so Sonny Criss is a natural for me. Expressive blues playing, wonderful sound leaping from subtone to full-on wailing. Hearing this was a revelation - this is exactly the sound I have been inching towards, but without hearing a player to emulate. Makes me want to stay off work and just play. How many other great players are there languishing in the back catalogues of Prestige and Blue Note who I should be hearing...

Tragically he developed stomach cancer at the age of 50 and shot himself. How many great jazz and blues players make it to their 60s...? 🙁

 

[flamingoer]

Worth digging out the Gene Norman Just Jazz concert with Wardell Gray, Howard McGhee, and a blistering
Sonny Criss on 'Grooving High'. Takes the paint right offf the woodwork.

 

[Kingsleyhk]

Try the other Sonny - Stitt:

http://www.kingsleyjazz.com/191159184

 

[Colin the Bear]

I don't think I've heard of him before. Great playing. Great control and vibrato. Soulful mood exploding into technical runs without losing the feel for the piece. Excellent stuff.

 

[alto andy]

Never listened or heard of this guy but wow pleased I have now 🙂

 

[Young Col]

Another great Sonny Criss track is the title track to the album Cry Me A River with Shelley Manne. It's on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUdTVxa3CAw
A few months ago on the radio I heard a searingly emotive version of Deep River (also called Dear Old Southland) by Sonny. Not sure what album it's from but so much of his stuff is worth listening to.

 

[Steve Marshall]

I love his playing. This Is Criss and Portrait of Sonny Criss are wonderful.
I guess he'd one of those players that didn't get well known as an innovator. He just plays in a mainstream way - but he never really puts a foot wrong and has a great tone.

 

[AlonW]

Sonny Criss was burnin'

 

[rhysonsax]

This old thread coming back to life gives me an opportunity to say what a lovely soprano player Sonny Criss was. I don't know of many recordings he made on soprano but this one of the tune "Ursula" is great (it starts at about 17':18").

View: https://youtu.be/mo_vAekzeO4?si=Db92XzUcFQAOO90-&t=1039


Rhys

 

[Pete Thomas]

I don’t suppose anyone remembers the actual track/video on the OP so I can edit it in and make more sense of the revived thread?

 

[lig]

I still have “The Isle of Celia” from the Crisscraft album in heavy rotation on my Apple Music jazz playlist. Wore that vinyl out years ago. 😀

Got that “Song For My Father” flavor - he really soars on that tune.

 

[Vlad]

Sonny Criss, that's a name from the past, v.nice player, used to listen to his stuff back in the 80s when we used to frequent Ray's jazz shop in Shaftesbury Ave.
Bill Lewington's was less than a couple of mins walk from there too so you could go and ogle some saxophones you'd never be able to afford !