Sonny Criss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonny Criss
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Sonny Criss
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Criss |
| Born | 23 October 1927 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | 19 November 1977 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, bebop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Alto saxophone, soprano saxophone |
William "Sonny" Criss (born October 23, 1927 – died November 19, 1977) was an American jazz musician. He was a very important alto saxophonist during the bebop era of jazz. Many musicians, including Sonny, were inspired by the famous jazz artist Charlie Parker.
Life Story
William Criss was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. When he was 15 years old, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he started playing music with different bands. One of these bands was led by Howard McGhee, and even Charlie Parker played with them sometimes.
Sonny Criss developed his own special sound on the saxophone. It was clear and had a bluesy feeling. Even though his main style stayed the same, he kept getting better at playing his instrument. He played with many different groups and recorded music with artists like Johnny Otis and Billy Eckstine.
First Big Break
His first big chance came in 1947. He joined several "jam sessions" which are like musical get-togethers. These were set up by a jazz promoter named Norman Granz. Later, in 1956, Sonny signed with Imperial Records. This record company was in New York. He recorded several albums with them, including Jazz U.S.A., Go Man!, and Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter. On the Cole Porter album, he played with pianist Sonny Clark.
More Recordings
Capitol Records later re-released some of his music as a double-CD set. Sonny Criss also recorded an album called At the Crossroads with pianist Wynton Kelly.
In 1965, Prestige Records signed Sonny Criss. He continued to make popular albums that were mostly in the hard bop style of jazz. His album Sonny's Dream had special musical arrangements by Horace Tapscott. He also recorded music for other labels like Muse Records and Impulse! Records.
Sonny Criss stopped playing music in 1977. He had one son, Steven Criss.
Music Albums
Sonny Criss recorded many albums during his career. He released several albums as the main artist, where he was the leader of the band. He also played on albums with other famous musicians. These recordings helped show off his unique alto saxophone style to the world.
See also
In Spanish: Sonny Criss para niños
