Buck Clarke

Buck Clark (1980s)

William "Buck" Clarke (born October 2, 1933 in Washington, DC , † October 11, 1988 in Los Angeles ) was an American percussionist ( congas , bongos ). Clarke's styles of music include soul , funk, and contemporary jazz with an Afro-centered perspective.

life and work

Clarke worked in a display sign shop as a teenager. One of his bosses father was a cousin of Duke Ellington . He played jazz to 15-year-old Clarke, which made him aware of jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson , Alan Jones and Dizzy Gillespie . Allegedly, he became "addicted to jazz" and was eventually offered a job at the DC Club , where he learned how to play congas. Many allegedly tried to encourage young Clarke to play "real instruments," but the Cuban tubular drums remained his position. At the age of 16 or 17, he once played with Charlie Parker when he was performing with Wess Anderson's band The Washingtonians , which included Parker and Eddie Jones . When he was 19 or 20, he played with Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers .

Clarke was part of Willis Jackson's band in the early 1960s . From 1960 onwards three albums were released under his own name in quick succession; a fourth album was released posthumously. He also played with Freddie Hubbard , Herbie Hancock , Les McCann and Russ Freeman , Gerald Albright , Jimmy Smith and others. He also performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1968. He can also be heard on albums with John Mayall , The Isley Brothers and Nina Simone .

Clarke later suffered from diabetes which cost him a leg in 1986.

Discographic notes

Cool Hands ( Offbeat , 1960)
Drum Sum ( Argo , 1961)
The Buck Clarke Sound ( Argo , 1963)
Hot Stuff (Full Circle, 1988)

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Night Journey Rewind with Percussionist Buck Clarke
^ Jazz Reviews: Musicians Pay Tribute to Buck Clarke . In: Los Angeles Times , April 28, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2020.

personal data
SURNAME	Clarke, Buck
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Clarke, William
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American jazz percussionist
DATE OF BIRTH	October 2, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH	Washington, DC
DATE OF DEATH	October 11, 1988
Place of death	los Angeles

[wi-1] Night Journey Rewind with Percussionist Buck Clarke

[Los_Angeles_Times_-_April_28,_1986_-_Musicians_Pay_Tribute_To_Buck_Clarke-2] Jazz Reviews: Musicians Pay Tribute to Buck Clarke . In: Los Angeles Times , April 28, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2020.