Buck Clarke | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | William Lewis Clarke[1] (1933-10-02)October 2, 1933 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | October 11, 1988(1988-10-11) (aged 55) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1960–1988 |
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| Formerly of | Les McCann Herbie Hancock Freddie Hubbard Russ Freeman Jimmy Smith |
William Lewis "Buck"Clarke[1][2] (October 2,[3] 1933[4] – October 11, 1988[3]) was an American jazzpercussionist. His many musical styles includedsoul,funk andcontemporary jazz, with anAfrocentric perspective.[5]
Clarke was born inWashington, D.C., on October 2, 1933.[2][5] At 15, he started working at a display sign store. The father of one of his bosses was a cousin toDuke Ellington,[5] so Clarke began to listen to jazz records by musicians such asDuke Ellington,Oscar Peterson, Allen Jones andDizzy Gillespie during lunch breaks and weekends,[6][5] and he became "hooked on jazz."[7] He eventually had a job offer at a D.C. club where he learned to play the congas.[5]
One of his very first gigs was at a show called "Jig Show", which featured dancers and comedians.[5] Clarke would travel throughout the world, going to places such asNew Orleans, where he first discoveredrumba music.[5] Many others tried to encourage young Clarke to play "real instruments", but his position was the bongo drums.[5]
When he was 16 or 17 years old, he played withCharlie Parker.[5] Clarke expressed his feelings about performing with Wess Anderson's band The Washingtonians which includedEddie Jones andCharlie Parker, saying it had him "shook up" and describing it as "mind blowing".[5] He played withArt Blakey'sThe Jazz Messengers at the age of 19 or 20.[5] He was a member of an eight-piece band which furthered his musical education.[5] He also played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1968.[2]Clarke played withFreddie Hubbard,Herbie Hancock,Les McCann,Russ Freeman,Gerald Albright,Jimmy Smith and others.
Clarke was an accomplishedfreelancepainter.[6] Some of his early artwork is displayedhere on hisFacebook page.
Clarke suffered from diabetes that cost him his leg in 1986.[8] He died on October 11, 1988, in Los Angeles.[3]
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Cool Hands | Offbeat | Charles Hampton on (clarinet), (alto saxophone), (wood flute), (piano), Don McKenzie on (vibes), Fred Williams on (bass), Roscoe Hunter on (drums) |
| 1961 | Drum Sum | Argo | Charles Hampton on (clarinet), (alto saxophone), (wood flute), (piano), Don McKenzie on (vibes), Fred Williams on (bass), Roscoe Hunter on (drums) |
| 1963 | The Buck Clarke Sound | Argo | Dwayne Austin on (bass), Billy Hart on (drums), Charles Hampton on (flute), (alto saxophone), (piano), Jimmy Crawford on (piano) (tracks: 2, 3, 5), Lennie Cujé on (vibraphone), (marimba) |
| 1988 | Hot Stuff | Full Circle | Will McGregor on (bass), Ralph Penland on (drums), Russ Freeman on (Guitar), Chris Ho on (keyboards), Gerald Albright on (Reeds), Buck Clarke (percussion) |
WithLes McCann
WithWillis Jackson
WithEugene McDaniels
With Dave Hubbard
WithNina Simone
WithJimmy Smith
WithJohn Mayall
WithHerbie Hancock
WithFreddie Hubbard
WithRon Escheté
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