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Outside the relatively small population that appreciates jazz, Sonny Sharrock<\/b> is little-known. And that’s quite a shame, because the guitarist (who died in 1994) had a lot to offer musically, even to those whose tastes don’t extend far beyond the confines of rock’n’roll.<\/p>\n
The first widely-heard example of Sharrock’s boundary-pushing style was in perhaps the unlikeliest of places: on a Herbie Mann<\/b><\/a> album. Though Mann is now (and belatedly) recognized as an early exponent of world music, in the 1960s he was held in somewhat less esteem, perhaps unfairly seen as a lightweight and a musical dilettante. On the landmark and game-changing Memphis Underground<\/i> LP (1969) Mann explored Southern soul, but with an unusual bent: in addition to the funky soul underpinnings of the music and his own distinctive lead flute playing, Mann enlisted the talents of two serious electric guitarists. And as impressive as Larry Coryell<\/b><\/a>‘s work on Memphis Underground<\/i> is, it’s Sonny Sharrock who steals the show with his aggressive, distorted, atonal axework. (He played on eight other Herbie Mann albums as well.)<\/p>\n Modern mainstream pop culture audiences got one more taste of Sharrock’s work in 1994 when the guitarist was asked to contribute his wild, skronky lead work to what would become the theme song for Cartoon Network’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast<\/i>. He passed away shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n But the final studio album released under his own name during his lifetime, Ask the Ages<\/i>, remains one of Sharrock’s finest works. Newly reissued with superior album cover art, the 1991 album features six compositions, all Sharrock originals. Produced by Bill Laswell<\/b> \u2013 with whom Sharrock had worked for a number of years in the punk jazz outfit Last Exit<\/b> \u2013 Ask the Ages<\/i> explores both the melodic and more abstract edges of the jazz idiom.<\/p>\n With an all-star band that features saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders<\/b>, upright bassist Charnett Moffett<\/b>, and drumming legend Elvin Jones<\/strong>, Sharrock seamlessly integrates his electric guitar into a variety of jazz substyles. \u201cPromises Kept\u201d features a repetitive riff played in a loose manner while Sharrock rips shit up on his guitar. The tune moves into some abstract metal areas that are sure to horrify jazz purists and by-the-numbers rock fans alike. \u201cWho Does She Hope to Be\u201d is an altogether more subdued, contemplative number; here Sharrock harmonizes on some lovely interplay with Sanders, and spins out some delightfully melancholy lead guitar work.<\/p>\n