Mike Clark

Michael Jeffrey Clark (born October 3, 1946) is an American drummer. He gained worldwide recognition as one of America's foremost jazz and funk drummers while playing with Herbie Hancock in the early 1970s. His incisive playing on Hancock's song "Actual Proof", on the 1974 album Thrust, garnered him an international cult following and influenced generations of drummers throughout the world.

Upbringing Clark was born in Sacramento, California, United States. He traveled around the country with his father, a drummer himself and a union man for the railroad. He has cited Max Roach, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Starks, and Billy Cobham as influences.

Career Mike has performed with such well-known jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Nicholas Payton, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Eddie Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Vince Guaraldi, Woody Shaw, Donald Harrison, Albert King, Larry Coryell, Michael Wolff, Wallace Roney, Billy Childs, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, Bobby McFerrin, Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown Jr., and Gil Evans and his orchestra. The album is part of the Blueprints of Jazz series conceived, produced and recorded by Talking House Productions with an aim to expose the histories and current work of important but often lesser-known jazz players who had contributed to the sounds of jazz legends from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Production and recording of the albums was helmed by Talking House producers Marc Weibel and Stephen Smith.

His latest recordings include "Retro Report" with Delbert Bump on Rope-a-Dope label, "Life Cycle" with Mark Sherman, Chase Baird, and Felix Pastorius, also on Rope-a-Dope; Eddie Henderson's "Be Cool" on the Smoke label; Charnett Moffett's "Music from Our Soul" on Motima; and "Indigo Blue: Live at the Iridium" with Christian McBride, Donald Harrison, Rob Dixon, Randy Brecker, and Antonio Farao on Highnote.

Equipment Clark endorses Gretsch drums, Timothy Roberts Cymbals, Evans drumheads, and Innovative Percussion drumsticks. He has played Remo drumheads, Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian cymbals, and Paiste cymbals in the past.

Discography

Year Artist Title Label1973Vince GuaraldiA Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Original Soundtrack RecordingLee Mendelson Film Productions 1974 Herbie Hancock Thrust Columbia 1974 Herbie Hancock Death Wish Columbia 1974 Betty Davis They Say I'm Different Just Sunshine 1975 Herbie Hancock Man-Child Columbia Records 1975 Herbie Hancock Flood CBS/Sony [Japan] 1975 The Headhunters Survival of the Fittest Arista 1976 Eddie Henderson Heritage Blue Note 1976 Alphonso Johnson Yesterday's Dreams Epic 1977 The Headhunters Straight From the Gate Arista 1979 Brand X Product Passport 1980 Brand X Do They Hurt? Passport 1981 Jack Walrath Group (with Ricky Ford) Revenge of the Fat People Stash 1983 Jack Walrath Quintet Jack Walrath Quintet at Umbria Jazz Festival, Vol. 1 Red Records 1983 Jack Walrath Quintet Jack Walrath Quintet at Umbria Jazz Festival, Vol. 2 Red Records 1984 Percy Jones Ensemble Propeller Music Hot Wire [Germany] 1989 Mike Clark Sextet (with Ricky Ford, Jack Walrath) Give the Drummer Some Stash 1989 Jack Wilkins Trio Call Him Reckless MusicMasters/BMG 1991 Jack Wilkins Alien Army MusicMasters/BMG 1992 Mike Clark / Paul Jackson (with Kenny Garrett, Jeff Pittson) The Funk Stops Here Tiptoe/Enja 1992 Suzanne Pittson Blues and the Abstract Truth Vineland 1993 Mike Clark Group Jim Payne's New York Funk! Vol. 1 Gramavision 1994 Marc Puricelli Melting Point MusicMasters/BMG 1995 Mike Clark The Headhunter: Master Drummers, Volume Three Ubiquity 1995 Marc Puricelli Shade MusicMasters/BMG 1996 Dave Ellis Raven Monarch 1997 Henry "The Skipper" Franklin (with Phil Vieux, Marc Seales) The Hunter Resurgent Music 1998 The Headhunters Return of the Headhunters! Hancock/Verve Forecast 1999 John Tank Quartet Canadian Sunset TCB Records 1999 Mike Clark (with Billy Childs, Chris Potter) Summertime JazzKey Music 2000 Mike Clark Actual Proof Platform 2001 Mike Clark / Paul Jackson / Marc Wagnon Conjunction Buckyball 2003 The Headhunters Evolution Revolution Basin Street 2003 The Mackrosoft 1st Mack to the Moon Mackrosoft 2003 The Mackrosoft Life Imitates Clouds Mackrosoft 2003 George Pajon, Jr. Fried Plantains Kufala Recordings 2004 Michael Wolff & Impure Thoughts Dangerous Vision Artemis 2004 Reuben Wilson Fun House Savant 2005 Rebecca Barry and the Headunters Rebecca Barry and the Headunters Rebecca Barry Productions 2005 The Mackrosoft Antonio's Giraffe Mackrosoft 2008 Mike Clark Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 1 Talking House Records 2006 Michael Wolff Love and Destruction Wrong Records 2007 Tony Adamo Straight Up Deal UrbanZone 2007 Jerry Stucker It's All a Groove UrbanZone 2008 The Headhunters On Top: Live in Europe BHM Productions 2009 Mike Clark's Prescription Renewal (with Fred Wesley, Skerik, Robert Walter, Charlie Hunter) Live at the Fox Theatre P-Vine [Japan] 2010 Mike Clark Carnival of Soul Owl Studios 2011 The Headhunters Platinum Owl Studios 2013 Michael Wolff / Mike Clark Wolff & Clark Expedition Random Act 2013 Jeff Berlin Low Standards Random Act 2013 Tony Adamo Miles of Blu Random Act 2013 Chester "CT" Thompson Mixology Doodlin' Records 2015 Michael Wolff / Mike Clark Wolff & Clark Expedition 2 Random Act 2015 Mike Clark / Gaetano Letizia / Wilbur Krebs Froggy & the Toads Letizia Music 2015 Tony Adamo & the New York CrewTony Adamo & the New York Crew UrbanZone 2015 Jerry Weldon On the Move! Doodlin' Records 2016 Dylan Taylor (with Larry Coryell) One in Mind Blujazz Productions 2017 Charnett Moffett Music From Our Soul Motéma Music 2017 Mike Clark & Delbert Bump (with Elias Lucero) Retro Report Ropeadope 2018 Eddie Henderson (with Donald Harrison, Kenny Barron) Be Cool Smoke Sessions 2018 Venture (Mike Clark, Mark Sherman, Chase Baird, Felix Pastorius) Life Cycle Ropeadope 2018 Tony Adamo Was Out Jazz Zone Mad Ropeadope 2018 Rob Dixon Trio (with Charlie Hunter) Coast to Crossroads Rob Dixon Productions2019Rinsse with Mike ClarkRinsse with Mike ClarkKhyron Label 2019 Mike Clark (with Christian McBride, Donald Harrison, Randy Brecker) Indigo Blue: Live at the Iridium Ropeadope 2019 DSC (Leon Lee Dorsey, Greg Skaff, Mike Clark) Monk Time Jazz Avenue 1 2020 Eddie Henderson (with Donald Harrison, Kenny Barron) Shuffle and Deal Smoke Sessions 2020 Wolff / Clark / Dorsey (Michael Wolff, Mike Clark, Leon Lee Dorsey) Play Sgt. Pepper Jazz Avenue 1 2021 Michael Wolff (with Mark Isham, Mike Clark, John B. Williams) Live @ Vitellos Sunnyside 2021 Leon Lee Dorsey (with Harold Mabern, Mike Clark) Thank You Mr. Mabern Jazz Avenue 1 2021 Mike Clark & Michael Zilber Mike Drop Sunnyside 2021 Leon Lee Dorsey (with Manuel Valera, Mike Clark) Freedom Jazz Dance Jazz Avenue 1 2022 Mike Clark & Leon Lee Dorsey (with Mike LeDonne) Blues on Top Jazz Avenue 1 2022 The Headhunters Speakers in the House Ropeadope 2023 Leon Lee Dorsey (with Russell Malone, Mike Clark) Cantaloupe Island Jazz Avenue 1 2023 Mike Clark (with Jon Davis, Leon Lee Dorsey) Plays Herbie Hancock Sunnyside 2023 Mike Clark (with Eddie Henderson, Skerik, Wayne Horvitz, Henry Franklin, Bill Summers) Kosen Rufu Wide Hive 2024 Wolff / Clark / Dorsey (Michael Wolff, Mike Clark, Leon Lee Dorsey) A Letter to Bill Evans Jazz Avenue 1 2025 Mike Clark (with Eddie Henderson, Craig Handy, Patrice Rushen, Henry Franklin) Itai Doshin Wide Hive 2026 Daggerboard (Erik Jekabson, Gregory Howe) (with Henry Franklin, Mike Clark) Daggerboard, The Skipper and Mike Clark Wide Hive 2026 Mike Clark (with Eddie Henderson, Craig Handy, Patrice Rushen, Essiet Okon Essiet) Kuon Ganjo – Time Without Beginning Wide Hive