by Steve HueyOrganist Sonny Phillips was born in Mobile, AL. in 1936 to a musical family, but did not begin his jazz education until the age of 23, when he began studying with Ahmad Jamal. The music of Jimmy Smith inspired him to switch to the organ, and soon he was performing with soul-jazz greats such as Lou Donaldson, Eddie Harris, Houston Person, and Gene Ammons. Phillips debuted as a leader on the 1969 Prestige set Sure Nuff, which was followed by the 1970 dates Black Magic and Black on Black. He returned to recording as a leader for the Muse label in 1976 with My Black Flower, but the next years I Concentrate on You proved to be his final recording to date. After an illness in 1980, Phillips moved to Los Angeles, where he teaches and performs on occasion.