A premiere area vocalist and instrumentalist, Phil Clark was exposed to musicianship at a very young age. His earliest memories are of singing and playing along with his entire family, at home and at church, a church deeply rooted in music. The “son of a preacher man”, Phil realized early on that music was, simply put, his calling. In addition to his early singing, Phil (like his father) became a skilled saxophonist, playing at local jazz clubs with veteran Columbus players when he was barely out of high school. Throughout his musical career, he has brought his superb voice to a wide variety of top area music events; he lends a special spark to the standards, and a soulfulness and sophistication to more contemporary rock and soul numbers.
Phil has joined the CJO on a number of occasions over the years, as a guest vocalist for our “Swingin’ with the CJO” and JazZoo performances. Also a highly talented multi-instrumentalist, Phil takes on front man duties in several top area bands — including The Apostles, The Ramshacklers, and Phil Clark and The Soul — doubling on saxophone, keyboards, guitar, and harmonica. He also regularly performs as a jazz vocalist and sax player, filling out veteran Columbus trios and quartets; his Sinatra and Ray Charles tribute shows are fan favorites. Last but not least, he is a longtime singer and horn player with the venerable HooDoo Soul Band.
