Sonny Sharrock | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Warren Harding Sharrock (1940-08-27)August 27, 1940 Ossining, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 25, 1994(1994-05-25) (aged 53) Ossining, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1966–1994 |
Warren Harding "Sonny"Sharrock (August 27, 1940 – May 25, 1994)[1] was an Americanjazz guitarist. His first wife was singerLinda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed.
One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the first wave offree jazz during the 1960s, Sharrock was known for his heavily chorded attack, use offeedback, anddistorted saxophone-like lines. His early work also features creative use ofslide guitar.
Sonny Sharrock was born Warren Harding Sharrock on August 27, 1940, inOssining, New York.[1] He began his musical career singingdoo-wop in his teen years.[1] He collaborated withPharoah Sanders andByard Lancaster in the late 1960s, first appearing on Sanders's 1966 albumTauhid.[1] He made several appearances with flautistHerbie Mann[1] and an uncredited appearance onMiles Davis'A Tribute to Jack Johnson.
Sharrock first wanted to play tenor saxophone after hearingJohn Coltrane on Davis'Kind of Blue at age 19, but his asthma prevented this. However, he considered himself "a horn player with a really fucked up axe."[2]
Three albums under Sharrock's name were released from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s:Black Woman,[1]Monkey-Pockie-Boo, andParadise (which he later disavowed).[3][4]
After the release ofParadise, Sharrock semi-retired for much of the 1970s and early 1980s. Undergoing a divorce from his wife and collaborator Linda in 1978, he worked as a chauffeur and a caretaker for mentally challenged children. At bassist and producerBill Laswell’s urging, Sharrock came out of retirement to appear onMaterial's 1981 albumMemory Serves. Starting in 1986, Sharrock was a member ofLast Exit with Laswell, saxophonistPeter Brötzmann, and drummerRonald Shannon Jackson.[1] During the late 1980s, he performed extensively with the New York-based bandMachine Gun and led his own band. Sharrock flourished with Laswell's help, noting in a 1991 interview that "the last five years have been pretty strange for me, because I went twelve years without making a record at all, and then in the last five years, I've made seven records under my own name. That's pretty strange."[5]
Laswell produced most of Sharrock's later recordings, including the entirely soloGuitar, the "metal-influenced"Seize the Rainbow, andHighlife. Sharrock's band at the time featured Abe Speller on percussion, Lance Carter on drums, Charles Baldwin on bass, and David Snider on keyboards. These albums were followed byAsk the Ages in 1991, which featured Pharoah Sanders and drummerElvin Jones. One writer describedAsk the Ages as "hands down, Sharrock's finest hour, and the ideal album to play for those who claim to hate jazz guitar."[6] Sharrock recorded music, including the opening and ending themes, forCartoon Network'sSpace Ghost Coast to Coast with drummerLance Carter; this was one of the last projects he completed in the studio before his death.[1] TheSpace Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Sharrock" carried a dedication to him at the end, and previously unheard music that he had recorded for the show was featured throughout most of the episode.[citation needed]
On May 25, 1994, as he was on the verge of signing his first major label contract, Sharrock died of a heart attack in Ossining.[1] He was 53 years old.[1] He is survived by his second wife, Dannette Hill, and their daughter Jasmyn.[citation needed]
French guitaristNoël Akchoté's 2004 albumSonny II features tracks written, performed, and inspired by Sharrock.
In August 2010, S. Malcolm Street in Ossining was officially renamed "Sonny Sharrock Way".[7][8] A sign was erected on Saturday, October 2, 2010.[9] Sharrock was also inducted intoOssining High School's Hall of Fame.
WithLast Exit
WithPheeroan akLaff
WithRoy Ayers
WithGinger Baker
With Brute Force
WithDon Cherry
WithMiles Davis
With Green Line
WithByard Lancaster
With F. Robert Lloyd
WithMachine Gun
WithHerbie Mann
WithMaterial
With Niù Abdominaux Dangereux
WithPharoah Sanders
WithWayne Shorter
WithThe Stalin
WithMarzette Watts
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