What story seems to be told through and about music in "Sonny's Blues.

The story reflects the world of music and the
musician—particularly the jazz musician—and explores themes of drug addiction and
prophecy. Music, particularly the blues, links the brothers and is tied to the African
American experience and, ultimately, to a greater spirituality and a deeper
humanity. When the narrator really hears Sonny’s blues—and listens to what the music
communicates—he understands Sonny in a deeper and more meaningful way. At the same time,
he also understands himself and the links to suffering, darkness, and menace that are
felt throughout the story. Ultimately, music links the brothers (and the reader) to the
human condition and to what may be “the only light in all the darkness.” Baldwin was
giving Pentecostal sermons (his father was a clergyman) as a boy in Harlem at age 14.
The story’s ending is prophetic and sermon-like, highlighting the message the narrator
derives from the power of the music, which is really the power of his people’s history.
Isaiah holds the messianic prophecy, and there is a direct link between the message in
that prophecy and the music—as if the music is directly tied to the word of
God.