If you haven’t read Sam Stephenson’s “Sonny Clark: Melody and Melancholy” in our Beauty Issue, congratulations–you don’t have to read SkyMall on that flight home for the holidays. For this installment of The Open Bar Guest DJ Series, Sam was kind enough to point us in the direction of some of his favorite of Clark’s songs.

These are some of my favorite tracks in the Sonny Clark catalog.  He often played his best, most relaxed music when he was a sideman on somebody else’s session.  His solos are sublime, and his complimentary playing behind soloing horns is always tasteful and supportive, even sympathetic, blending blues and swing.

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