Kenny Clarke
Kenny Clarke was a highly influential if subtle drummer who helped to define bebop drumming. He was the first to shift the time-keeping rhythm from the bass drum to the ride cymbal, an innovation that has been copied and utilized by a countless number of drummers since the early '40s.
Clarke played vibes, piano and trombone in addition to drums while in school. After stints with Roy Eldridge (1935) and the Jeter-Pillars band, Clarke joined Edgar Hayes' Big Band (1937-38). He made his recording debut with Hayes (which is available on a Classics CD) and showed that he was one of the most swinging drummers of the era. A European tour with Hayes gave Clarke an opportunity to lead his own session, but doubling on vibes was a definite mistake! Stints with the orchestras of Claude Hopkins (1939) and Teddy Hill (1940-41) followed and then Clarke led the house band at Minton's Playhouse (which also included Thelonious Monk). The legendary after-hours sessions led to the formation of bop and it was during this time that Clarke modernized his style and received the nickname "Klook-Mop" (later shortened to "Klook") due to the irregular "bombs" he would play behind soloists. A flexible drummer, Clarke was still able to uplift the more traditional orchestras of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (1941) and the combos of Benny Carter (1941-42), Red Allen and Coleman Hawkins; he also recorded with Sidney Bechet. However after spending time in the military, Clarke stayed in the bop field, working with Dizzy Gillespie's big band and leading his own modern sessions; he co-wrote "Epistrophy" with Monk and "Salt Peanuts" with Gillespie. Clarke spent the late '40s in Europe, was with Billy Eckstine in the U.S. in 1951 and became an original member of the Modern Jazz Quartet (1951-55). However he felt confined by the music and quit the MJQ to freelance, performing on an enormous amount of records during 1955-56.
In 1956 Clarke moved to France where he did studio work, was hired by touring American all-stars and played with Bud Powell and Oscar Pettiford in a trio called the Three Bosses (1959-60). Clarke was co-leader with Francy Boland of a legendary all-star big band (1961-72), one that had Kenny Clarke playing second drums! Other than a few short visits home, Kenny Clarke worked in France for the remainder of his life and was a major figure on the European jazz scene.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Jazz Milestones: Kenny Clarke, Vol. 4
Jazz - Released by 21-Music on 10 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Albums Collection
Jazz - Released by Enlightenment on 9 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Telefunken Blues
Bebop - Released by Music Manager on 9 Aug 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland Big Band: Jazz Is Universal
Jazz - Released by Blue Velvet on 24 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Portraits: Kenny Clarke - Digitally Remastered
Jazz - Released by Jazz Roots Records on 24 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Milestones: Kenny Clarke, Vol. 9
Kenny Clarke, Modern Jazz Quartet
Jazz - Released by 21-Music on 10 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Pearls
Jazz - Released by Jazz 2 Jazz Records on 21 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Complete Jazz Series 1948 - 1950
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 1 Dec 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Giants of Jazz, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by Harlem Jazz Records on 4 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo de Kenny Clarke, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Amamos la navidad on 30 Oct 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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100+ Jazz Classics
Jazz - Released by Classic Music International on 9 Nov 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Legends Collection (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Bubble Jazz Records on 12 Dec 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland Big Band: Handle With Care
Jazz - Released by Blue Velvet on 21 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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& The Hank Jones Trio
Jazz - Released by Jazz Room on 1 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music around the World by Kenny Clarke, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Sunny Side of the Street on 4 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love And Breaks
Jazz - Released by Beat Machine Records on 23 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo