During his too-brief career, this hard bop pianist contributed soulful compositions to the modern jazz repertoire, chief among them the chill but effervescent title track of his Cool Struttin' LP. Clark's sophisticated, bluesy technique was also a fit for the bandleaders employed by Blue Note during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, including Curtis Fuller and Jackie McLean. Clark's approach to pushing the limits of conventional hard bop can likewise be heard on Sonny's Crib (which features John Coltrane), and on the tunes that make up the posthumous release My Conception.