William "Sonny" Criss (October 23, 1927 – November 19, 1977) was an American jazz musician.
An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker.
William Mansfield Turner, known to the world as Sonny Criss, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 15. He then went on to play in various bands including Howard McGhee's, which also featured Charlie Parker, Sonny's idol.
However, Criss was much more than just a Charlie Parker clone. He developed his own sound, drenched in the blues, as his ability on the instrument continued to develop. Nevertheless, he continued to drift from band to band, and played on some records with Johnny Otis and Billy Eckstine.
His first major break came in 1947, on a number of jam sessions arranged by jazz impresario Norman Granz. In 1956 he signed to Imperial Records, based in New York, and recorded a series of albums including Jazz U.S.A , Go Man! and Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter featuring pianist Sonny Clark. Capitol, which owned the master recordings, reissued them as a double-CD set on their Blue Note imprint in 2000. Criss also recorded At the Crossroads with pianist Wynton Kelly.
Prestige signed Criss in 1965, and he continued to record well-acclaimed albums which were mainly rooted in hard bop traditions and a superlative mastery of the blues. Sonny's Dream featured arrangements by Horace Tapscott. Later sessions in 1975 were recorded for Muse and Impulse.
In 1977, Criss was preparing to tour Japan but developed stomach cancer. As a consequence of this painful condition, Criss committed suicide (self-inflicted gunshot) in 1977, in his adopted city of Los Angeles. He never married, but had one son, Steven Criss.
California Boppin' (Fresh Sound, 1947)
Intermission Riff (Pablo, 1951 )
Sonny Criss Plays Cole Porter (Imperial, 1956)
At the Crossroads with Sonny Criss (Peacock, 1959) reissued on CD as Sonny Criss Quartet Featuring Wynton Kelly (Fresh Sound, 2001)
Criss Cross (Imperial, 1963) compilation
Mr. Blues Pour Flirter (Brunswick [France] Records, 1963)
This Is Criss! (Prestige, 1966)
Portrait of Sonny Criss (Prestige, 1967)
Up, Up And Away (Prestige, 1967)
The Beat Goes On! (Prestige, 1968)
Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool) (Prestige, 1968)