Buck Clarke

Buck Clarke

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Gender:
Male
Birth:
2 October 1934
Death:
11 October 1988
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Biography

Introduction

William "Buck" Clarke (October 2, 1933 – October 11, 1988 in Los Angeles) is an American jazz percussionist who played with Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Les McCann, Russ Freeman, Gerald Albright, Jimmy Smith and others. He also played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1968.

Biography

He was born in Washington, DC on October 2, 1933. At an early age, he started off of working at a display sign store. One of his bosses father was a cousin to Duke Ellington. At that time, his boss began to play jazz music to the 15 year-old Clarke, which brought him to his attention of listening to jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Allen Jones and Dizzy Gillespie. Clarke many interests as a young youth gotten even more serious that he was "hooked on Jazz", he eventually had a job offer at D.C. club where he learned how to play the congas. One of his very first gigs was at a show called "Jig Show", where as Clarke would perform as well as dancers and comedians.

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

Discography

As leader

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

As sideman

With Les McCann

  • Second Movement (Atlantic, 1971) - with Eddie Harris
  • Invitation to Openness (Atlantic, 1972)
  • Talk to the People (Atlantic, 1972)
  • Live at Montreux (Atlantic, 1972)
  • Layers (Atlantic, 1972)
  • Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)

With Willis Jackson

  • Blue Gator (Prestige, 1960)
  • Cookin' Sherry (Prestige, 1961)
  • Together Again! (Prestige, 1965) - "This'll Get To Ya'" & "It Might As Well Be Spring"
  • Together Again, Again (Prestige, 1967)

With Eugene McDaniels

  • Outlaw (Prestige, 1960)

With Dave Hubbard

  • Dave Hubbard (Mainstream, 1971)

With Cannonball Adderley

  • Black Messiah (Capitol, 1971)

With The Isley Brothers

  • Givin' It Back - "Love The One You're With" (T-Neck, 1971)

With Nina Simone

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

With Jimmy Smith

  • Root Down - Jimmy Smith Live! (Verve, 1972)
  • Paid In Full (Mojo, 1974)
  • Jimmy Smith '75 (Mojo, 1975)
  • It's Necessary (Mercury, 1977)

With John Mayall

  • A Banquet In Blues (ABC, 1976)

With Herbie Hancock

  • Sextant (Columbia, 1973)

With Freddie Hubbard

  • Liquid Love (Columbia, 1975)
  • Gleam (CBS/Sony, 1975)
  • Splash (Fantasy, 1981)
  • Born to Be Blue (Pablo, 1982)

With Ron Escheté

  • Stump Jumper (Bainbridge, 1986)

With Thelonious Monster

  • Stormy Weather (Relativity, 1989)