Buck Clarke

William Lewis "Buck" Clarke[1][2] (October 2,[3] 1933[4] – October 11, 1988[3]) was an American jazz percussionist who played with Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Les McCann, Russ Freeman, Gerald Albright, Jimmy Smith and others. Clarke's many musical styles include soul, funk and contemporary jazz, with an Afrocentric perspective.[5]

Buck Clarke
Buck Clarke
Buck Clarke
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Lewis Clarke[1]
Born(1933-10-02)October 2, 1933
Washington, D.C., Maryland United States
DiedOctober 11, 1988(1988-10-11) (aged 55)
Los Angeles, CA, United States
GenresContemporary Jazz, cool jazz, soul jazz
Occupation(s)Percussionist, Artist, composer
Instrument(s)Bongos, Congas
Years active1960-1988
LabelsArgo
Offbeat
Full Circle

Early life

Clarke was born in Washington, 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 to Duke Ellington,[5] so Clarke began to listen to jazz records by musicians such as Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Allen Jones and Dizzy 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]

Career

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 as New Orleans, where he first discovered rumba 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 with Charlie Parker.[5] Clarke expressed his feelings about performing with Wess Anderson's band The Washingtonians which included Eddie Jones and Charlie Parker, saying it had him "shook up" and describing it as "mind blowing".[5] He played with Art Blakey's The 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 was an accomplished freelance painter.[6] Some of his early artwork is displayed here on his Facebook page.

Clarke suffered from diabetes that cost him his leg in 1986.[8] He died on October 11, 1988, in Los Angeles.[3]

Discography
Clarke drumming in the 80's.

As leader

As sideman

With Les McCann

With Willis Jackson

With Eugene McDaniels

  • Outlaw (Prestige, 1960)

With Dave Hubbard

  • Dave Hubbard (Mainstream, 1971)

With Cannonball Adderley

With The Isley Brothers

With Nina Simone

  • The Great Show Live in Paris (Disques Festival, 1975)

With Jimmy Smith

With John Mayall

  • A Banquet In Blues (ABC, 1976)

With Herbie Hancock

With Freddie Hubbard

With Ron Escheté

  • Stump Jumper (Bainbridge, 1986)

With Thelonious Monster

See also

References
  1. "William Lewis Clarke Artwork for Sale at Online Auction | William Lewis Clarke Biography & Info".
  2. "Buck Clarke". Facebook.com. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  3. "William Buck Clarke". familysearch.org. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016.
  4. "Buck Clarke". Facebook.com. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  5. "Night Journey Rewind with Percussionist Buck Clarke". Nightjourneyrewind.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  6. "The Afro American - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  7. "Night Journey Rewind with Percussionist Buck Clarke - NJR". Nightjourneyrewind.com. March 31, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  8. "Jazz Reviews: Musicians Pay Tribute To Buck Clarke". Los Angeles Times. April 28, 1986. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
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