Sonny Clark – Cool Struttin'

This version a solid fix for someone who will never own an original. Dead quiet and sound is impeccable. Beautifully packaged. A steal if you can find one out there. One of my all time favorite jazz recordings.

Excellent sounding Japanese CD 1986. With the complete Cool Struttin' session & Japanese liner notes.

Can’t believe there isn’t a review on this excellent mono version. This has a different sequence than the original LP, but they may have done that to better fit the two additional songs they added here. The sound is great, being a Van Gelder recording, and the mastering is nice, not too loud, but still punchy, and everything cuts through just right. The booklet is also a treat, with outtake pictures from the cover shoot, as well as studio pictures of the musicians during the recording of the album. In short, if you can still get this, get it.

This is a Ron McMaster cut, it sounds great , highly recommended pressing of this classic date

One of my top 10. So weirdly randomly moist. All killer no filler.
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Fantastic release. 5 out of 5. My favourite of the Classic series.

Excellent mastering! Followed by good pressing with limited surface noise. But what a great recording! The drums are vibrant and well defined, the sax and trumpets cut through, with a slight sharp edge, but within limits. Excellent issue from Blue Note!

I just received this one, along with four others from the series (Father's Day sale straight from Blue Note). An absolutely flat, dust-free, noise-free pressing. I don't think it's overly bright. Every instrument just jumps out at you; great separation. Nice poly-lined inner sleeve.

I listened to both this one and the BN Classic and actually preferred this over the Classic on my system. This one sounds much more balanced and warm and the mono mix here is punchier then its stereo counterpart. The Classic was overly bright, almost sibilant, much more so than any other record from that series.

My copy has some subtle crackle here and there, though, which was par for the course with BN75. This one i bought used for dirt cheap so I can't really complain.

Edit: The crackle has completely gone away after a second cleaning. Now the vinyl's dead quiet. Fantastic, vintage sounding pressing.

A hard-bop staple that still feels as fresh today—Sonny leads a fiery quintet featuring Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Each tune, from the title track’s relaxed swagger to the bluesy depth of “Deep Night,” swings with both sophistication and grit .

What makes this reissue shine:

Pristine Japanese stereo pressing—well-regarded for silent vinyl and careful mastering

Complete obi strip (often cream- or purple-tinted) and inner sleeve—adds collector value and visual charm

Sound-wise: this pressing nails it. The stereo mix gives everything room to breathe: Farmer’s flugelhorn fills the center, McLean’s alto swings with clarity, Chambers and Jones hold the bottom end tight, and Clark’s piano is crisp and present. Warm, full-bodied, and effortless—this version holds its own alongside more expensive audiophile editions .

A beautiful blend of performance, packaging, and pressing quality—perfect whether you're a veteran collector or just discovering why Cool Struttin’ is a hard-bop milestone!