# Mike Clark (drummer)

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" off of 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. His dad had a great appreciation for jazz and blues music, and Mike absorbed the music of America while riding the rails. He credits this exposure as forming the foundation for his ability to synthesize many different regional styles. From age 4, he was a prodigy, sitting in – and getting "house"- with bands in Texas and New Orleans. By the time he reached his early twenties he was known as one of the founders of the distinctive East Bay Sound coming out of Oakland, California.

## 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.
His album Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 1 (Talking House Records, 2008) was widely praised by critics and in 2010 was named by DownBeat magazine as one of the best albums of the decade. 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, Istanbul Agop 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 | Label |
| 1973 | Vince Guaraldi | A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Original Soundtrack Recording | Lee 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 |
| 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) | 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 Crew | Tony 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 Productions |
| 2019 | Rinsse with Mike Clark | Rinsse with Mike Clark | Khyron 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 |