Sonny Greenwich facts for kids

Sonny Greenwich is a famous Canadian jazz guitarist. He was born on January 1, 1936. Sonny has played his guitar in many big cities across Canada and the United States, even performing at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has also played with many well-known musicians like Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, John Handy, and Sun Ra.

About Sonny Greenwich

Early Life and Career

Sonny Greenwich was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He first became known for his unique guitar playing style in 1959 in Toronto, Ontario. In 1965, he performed in New York City at The Village Gate. He played there with the talented saxophonist Charles Lloyd.

Sonny's reputation grew quickly. This led him to play with John Handy from December 1966 to March 1967. They performed in cities like Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. Another Canadian musician, bassist Don Thompson, also played with them. Their concert was even released as an album called Spirituals to Swing by Columbia Records. Around this time, Sonny also recorded an album called Third Season with the famous saxophonist Hank Mobley. This album was released on Blue Note Records.

What People Say About Sonny

Many people think Sonny Greenwich is a very important jazz musician. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz says that some critics believe he is the most important Canadian jazz musician. He is also listed as one of the '10 Best Canadian Jazz Musicians of All Time' in the Canadian Book of Lists.

The famous guitarist Barney Kessel wrote about Sonny. He said, "There is a deep emotion and sincerity in Sonny's music ... and I consider him a really rare kind of talent." Sonny's importance is also noted in the Canadian Encyclopedia and Jazz in Canada.

In 1971, musician Michael Bloomfield shared his favorite jazz guitarists in Guitar Player magazine. He said, "There's a guy named Sonny Greenwich, from Canada, he's a phenomenon. They talk about John McLaughlin, but dig this Sonny cat, he's the Coltrane of guitar players." This shows how highly he was regarded.

Leading His Own Groups

In 1968, Sonny Greenwich led his own jazz quartet. This group included pianist Teddy Saunders, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. They performed at the Village Vanguard in New York.

In December 1969, Sonny Greenwich played with some of the biggest names in jazz. He performed with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Tony Williams. This special performance took place at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto. The next year, Sonny's own band opened for the Miles Davis band at Massey Hall.

Awards and Recognition

Sonny Greenwich has received important awards for his music. In 2006, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor given to Canadians who have made a big difference. In 2021, he received the Canadian Jazz Master Award.

In 2020, a book about Sonny Greenwich was published. It was written by Canadian jazz critic Mark Miller and is called Of Stars and Strings: A Biography of Sonny Greenwich.

Family Life

Sonny Greenwich is the father of Sonny Greenwich Jr. His son is also a guitarist and played in the Canadian funk-metal band Bootsauce.

Music Albums

Sonny Greenwich has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of them:

• The Old Man and the Child (CBC/Sackville, 1970)
• Love Song for a Virgo Lady (CBC/Sackville, 1970)
• Sun Song Akasha (CBC, 1974)
• Evolution, Love's Reverse (PM, 1979)
• Days Gone By (Sackville, 1979) with Ed Bickert
• Bird of Paradise (Justin Time, 1986)
• Live at Sweet Basil (Justin Time, 1987)
• Standard Idioms (Kleo, 1991/92)
• Outside In (Justin Time, 1994) with Paul Bley
• Hymn to the Earth (Kleo, 1994)
• Welcome: Mother Earth (Justin Time, 1995)
• Spirit in the Air (Kleo, 1995)
• Kenny & Sonny Live at the Montreal Bistro (Justin Time, 1997) (as the Kenny Wheeler & Sonny Greenwich Quintet)
• Fragments of a Memory (Cornerstone, 2001)
• Special Angel (CBC, 2003) with Marilyn Lerner
• Essence (Kleo, 2009)
• Portraits (Kleo, 2009)

As a Guest Musician

Sonny Greenwich has also played as a guest musician on other artists' albums:

• Lee Gagnon, Jazzzzz (Radio Canada International, 1969)
• Moe Koffman, Solar Explorations (GRT, 1974)
• Hank Mobley, Third Season (Blue Note, 1980)
• Hilario Duran, Francisco's Song (Justin Time, 1996)
• Barry Elmes, Different Voices (Cornerstone, 1997)