''Leapin' and Lopin is an album by American jazz pianist

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

, recorded on November 13, 1961 and released on

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

in May 1962—Clark's final album as leader before his death the following year.

Background

''Leapin' and Lopin features a guest appearance from sax player

Ike Quebec Ike Abrams Quebec (August 17, 1918January 16, 1963) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career in the big band era of the 1940s, then fell from prominence for a time until launching a comeback in the years before his death. Crit ...

, who was mounting a comeback after a decade of low visibility. The rhythm section of Clark,

Butch Warren Edward Rudolph "Butch" Warren Jr. (August 9, 1939 – October 5, 2013) was an American jazz bassist who was active during the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Warren's mother was a typist at the CIA. His father, Edward Sr., was an electronics tech ...

, and

Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...

would also appear on sessions with

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

yielding his albums for Blue Note '' Go!'' and ''

A Swingin' Affair ''A Swingin' Affair'' is an album recorded in 1962 by saxophonist Dexter Gordon, recorded two days after '' Go!'' with the same line-up, but not released for two years. Recording and music The album was recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood ...

''.

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review by Michael Nastos calls ''Leapin' and Lopin "a definitive recording for Clark, and really for all time in the mainstream jazz idiom." All About Jazz stated, "Although pianist Sonny Clark had documented much fine music up to this point, one of his final recordings before an untimely death, everything seemed to solidify with this 1961 ringer."At All About Jazz
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Track listing

Personnel

– piano *

Tommy Turrentine Thomas Walter Turrentine, Jr. (April 22, 1928 – May 13, 1997) was a swing and hard bop trumpeter and composer who was active between the 1940s and the 1960s. He rarely worked as a bandleader, and was known for his work as a sideman with d ...

– trumpet (except "Deep in a Dream") *

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Wash ...

– tenor saxophone (except "Deep in a Dream") *

– tenor saxophone ("Deep in a Dream") *

– bass *

– drums

References

{{Authority control Sonny Clark albums 1962 albums Blue Note Records albums Albums produced by Alfred Lion