Sonny Fortune
| Sonny Fortune | |
|---|---|
 Sonny Fortune, April 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cornelius Fortune |
| Born |
May 19, 1939 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S |
| Genres | Jazz, free jazz, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone, flute, clarinet |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Prestige, Strata-East, Horizon, Atlantic, Blue Note |
| Website |
www |
Sonny Fortune (born May 19, 1939) is an American jazz saxophonist. Fortune plays soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, clarinet, and flute.
Biography
After moving to New York City in 1967, Fortune recorded and appeared live with drummer Elvin Jones's group. In 1968 he was a member of Mongo Santamaría's band. He performed with singer Leon Thomas, and with pianist McCoy Tyner (1971–73). In 1974 Fortune replaced Dave Liebman in Miles Davis's ensemble, remaining until spring 1975, when he was succeeded by Sam Morrison. Fortune can be heard on the albums Big Fun, Get Up With It, Agharta and Pangaea, the last two recorded live in Japan.[1]
Fortune joined Nat Adderley after his brief tenure with Davis, then formed his own group in June 1975, recording two albums for the Horizon Records. During the 1990s, he recorded several albums for Blue Note. He has also performed with Roy Brooks, Buddy Rich, George Benson, Rabih Abou Khalil, Roy Ayers, Oliver Nelson, Gary Bartz, Rashied Ali, and Pharoah Sanders, as well as appearing on the live album The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1977).[1]
Discography
As leader
- 1966: Trip on the Strip with Stan Hunter (Prestige)
- 1974: Long Before Our Mothers Cried (Strata-East)
- 1975: Awakening (Horizon)
- 1976: Waves of Dreams (Horizon)
- 1977: Serengeti Minstrel (Atlantic)
- 1978: Infinity Is (Atlantic)
- 1979: With Sound Reason (Atlantic)
- 1992: Laying It Down
- 1993: Monk's Mood
- 1994: Four in One
- 1995: A Better Understanding
- 1996: From Now On
- 2000: In the Spirit of John Coltrane
- 2003: Continuum
- 2007: You and the Night and the Music
- 2009: Last Night at Sweet Rhythm
As sideman
With Rabih Abou-Khalil
- Bukra (MMP, 1988)
- Al-Jadida (Enja, 1990)
With Nat Adderley
- On the Move (Theresa, 1983)
- Blue Autumn (Theresa, 1985)
- Autumn Leaves (Sweet Basil, 1990 [1991])
- Work Song: Live at Sweet Basil (Sweet Basil, 1990 [1993])
With Kenny Barron
- Innocence (Wolf, 1978)
With Gary Bartz
- Alto Memories (Verve, 1994)
With George Benson
- Tell It Like It Is (A&M/CTI, 1969)
With Miles Davis
- Get Up with It (Columbia, 1974)
- Big Fun (Columbia, 1975)
- Pangaea (Columbia, 1975)
- Agharta (Columbia, 1975)
With Dizzy Gillespie
- Closer to the Source (Atlantic, 1984)
With Elvin Jones
- Elvin Jones Jazz Machine Live at Pit Inn (Polydor (Japan), 1985)
- When I Was at Aso-Mountain (Enja, 1990)
- In Europe (Enja, 1991)
- It Don't Mean a Thing (Enja, 1993)
With Charles Mingus
- Three or Four Shades of Blues (Atlantic, 1977)
With Alphonse Mouzon
- The Essence of Mystery (Blue Note, 1972)
With Pharoah Sanders
- Izipho Zam (My Gifts) (Strata-East, 1969 [1973])
With Melvin Sparks
- Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)
With Leon Spencer
- Bad Walking Woman (Prestige, 1972)
- Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)
With Charles Sullivan
- Genesis (Strata-East, 1974)
With McCoy Tyner
- Sahara (Milestone, 1972)
- Song for My Lady (Milestone, 1973)
With Mal Waldron
- Crowd Scene (Soul Note, 1989)
- Where Are You? (Soul Note, 1989)
With Mongo Santamaría
- Stone Soul (1969)
Filmography
- Elvin Jones: Jazz Machine (2008) with Ravi Coltrane, Willie Pickens and Chip Jackson
- Europafest: Jazz Highlights (2008) with Mike Stern, Bob Berg, Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, John Zorn, Bill Frisell
References
- 1 2 Collar. "Sonny Fortune". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
External links
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