Kenny Clarke at the Finale International Jazz Festival, Loosdrecht, Netherlands, 7 August 1971

Photo by W. Punt / Anefo (CC0)

Kenny Clarke

member of The Modern Jazz Quartet (1952–1955)

Drums · born 9 January 1914 – died 26 January 1985

▸ Click for Richard Cook Bio

Born in Pittsburgh, Clarke worked there in local bands before joining the Edgar Hayes orchestra in New York in 1937. Hayes took him to Europe (where Clarke made the first discs under his own name, in Stockholm) and on his return the drummer led the house band at Minton's Playhouse, one of the hippest haunts for musicians and the fabled seedbed of the bebop revolution: Thelonious Monk was also in the band, and Gillespie and Parker were never far away. After his army service, Clarke joined Dizzy Gillespie's band and went with them to Europe in 1948, remaining to savour the Paris scene for a few months before returning to the US. Klook (the nickname came from his style of stroking the snare on an off-beat) liked Europe and spent more time in Paris, Switzerland and Tunis, but he settled on the East Coast for a spell when he became drummer for the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1951. Disliking the way John Lewis was taking the band, he left in 1955. Life had been hectic – he had also worked on many record sessions and as a talent scout for Savoy – and he decided to settle permanently in France a year later. Inevitably, he was first call for visiting Americans and worked regularly with Bud Powell and Oscar Pettiford. In 1961, he began co-leading an all-star big band with Francy Boland: it lasted until 1972, and though not regularly convened, the personnel (Johnny Griffin, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Art Farmer, Benny Bailey and others) remained remarkably constant. All through these many years of playing, Clarke's technique remained stylishly trim and fluent. He was most likely the real architect of bop drumming, sending the rhythmic pulse out from the cymbal rather than the bass drum and interjecting every accompaniment with deftly placed rimshots and snare flicks, but even in bop's heyday his style was almost calm in nature, rather than ladling out the neurotic rhythms which the music's agitated rush seemed to insist on. With the MJQ, in other small groups and especially in his big-band work, he set standards of refinement coupled with dash and swing which always made the band sound good. He continued to visit the US and other parts of Europe, but he was in semi-retirement when he died, spending his last years in a Paris suburb.

Biography from Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia (2005).

If you'd like more information, check out The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2002) or The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (2007), both of which are still in print.

As leader

  • Kenny Clarke – Bohemia After DarkKenny Clarke – Bohemia After Dark

Plays on

  • Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzier and DizzierDizzy Gillespie – Dizzier and Dizzier
  • Lee Konitz – With Warne MarshLee Konitz – With Warne Marsh
  • Cannonball Adderley – Julian Cannonball AdderleyCannonball Adderley – Julian Cannonball Adderley
  • Miles Davis – All-Stars Vol. 1Miles Davis – All-Stars Vol. 1
  • Cannonball Adderley – Presenting CannonballCannonball Adderley – Presenting Cannonball
  • Nat Adderley – That’s NatNat Adderley – That’s Nat
  • Phineas Newborn Jr. – Here is PhineasPhineas Newborn Jr. – Here is Phineas
  • Miles Davis – Volume OneMiles Davis – Volume One
  • Miles Davis – Volume TwoMiles Davis – Volume Two
  • Jay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume OneJay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume One
  • Jay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume TwoJay Jay Johnson – The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume Two
  • Milt Jackson – And The Thelonious Monk QuintetMilt Jackson – And The Thelonious Monk Quintet
  • Kenny Burrell – Introducing Kenny BurrellKenny Burrell – Introducing Kenny Burrell
  • Miles Davis – Miles Davis and HornsMiles Davis – Miles Davis and Horns
  • Sonny Rollins – With the Modern Jazz QuartetSonny Rollins – With the Modern Jazz Quartet
  • Art Farmer Septet – Plays the Arrangements and Compositions of Gryce and JonesArt Farmer Septet – Plays the Arrangements and Compositions of Gryce and Jones
  • Gene Ammons – All-Star SessionsGene Ammons – All-Star Sessions
  • Miles Davis – Blue HazeMiles Davis – Blue Haze
  • Modern Jazz Quartet – DjangoModern Jazz Quartet – Django
  • Thelonious Monk – Plays the Music of Duke EllingtonThelonious Monk – Plays the Music of Duke Ellington
  • Joe Wilder – Wilder ‘n WilderJoe Wilder – Wilder ‘n Wilder
  • Frank Wess – North, South, East … WessFrank Wess – North, South, East … Wess
  • Ronnie Ball – All About RonnieRonnie Ball – All About Ronnie
  • Various Artists – Jazz Men DetroitVarious Artists – Jazz Men Detroit
  • John Lewis and Sacha Distel – Afternoon in ParisJohn Lewis and Sacha Distel – Afternoon in Paris
  • Fats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume OneFats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume One
  • Fats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume TwoFats Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro, Volume Two
  • Kenny Burrell – Kenny BurrellKenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell
  • Miles Davis – Birth of the CoolMiles Davis – Birth of the Cool
  • Horace Silver – Silver’s BlueHorace Silver – Silver’s Blue
  • Modern Jazz Quartet / Milt Jackson Quintet – MJQModern Jazz Quartet / Milt Jackson Quintet – MJQ
  • Miles Davis All-Stars – Walkin’Miles Davis All-Stars – Walkin’
  • Art Farmer – When Farmer Met GryceArt Farmer – When Farmer Met Gryce
  • Miles Davis – Bags GrooveMiles Davis – Bags Groove
  • Hank Mobley – Jazz Message #2Hank Mobley – Jazz Message #2
  • Miles Davis – And The Modern Jazz GiantsMiles Davis – And The Modern Jazz Giants
  • Miles Davis – And the Modern Jazz GiantsMiles Davis – And the Modern Jazz Giants

Mentioned in text

  • Clifford Brown / Max Roach – Brown and Roach IncorporatedClifford Brown / Max Roach – Brown and Roach Incorporated
  • Modern Jazz Quartet – ConcordeModern Jazz Quartet – Concorde
  • Thelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume OneThelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume One
  • Thelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume TwoThelonious Monk – Genius of Modern Music, Volume Two
  • Art Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume OneArt Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume One
  • Art Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume TwoArt Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Volume Two
  • Paul Quinichette – The Kid from DenverPaul Quinichette – The Kid from Denver
  • Modern Jazz Sextet – The Modern Jazz SextetModern Jazz Sextet – The Modern Jazz Sextet
  • Various Artists – ConceptionVarious Artists – Conception
  • Earl Coleman – Earl Coleman ReturnsEarl Coleman – Earl Coleman Returns
  • Sonny Stitt – Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy JonesSonny Stitt – Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones
  • Sonny Stitt – Sonny Stitt PlaysSonny Stitt – Sonny Stitt Plays
  • Modern Jazz Quartet – Modern Jazz QuartetModern Jazz Quartet – Modern Jazz Quartet
  • Paul Chambers Sextet – Whims of ChambersPaul Chambers Sextet – Whims of Chambers
  • Thad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones, Volume ThreeThad Jones – The Magnificent Thad Jones, Volume Three
  • Sonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume TwoSonny Rollins – Sonny Rollins, Volume Two
  • Paul Chambers – Bass On TopPaul Chambers – Bass On Top
  • The Jazz Messengers – Hard BopThe Jazz Messengers – Hard Bop
  • Zoot Sims – Goes to JazzvilleZoot Sims – Goes to Jazzville
  • Clifford Brown – Clifford Brown All-StarsClifford Brown – Clifford Brown All-Stars
  • Warne Marsh – Jazz of Two CitiesWarne Marsh – Jazz of Two Cities
  • Sonny Rollins – Saxophone ColossusSonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus
  • Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’
  • Ray Draper Quintet – Tuba SoundsRay Draper Quintet – Tuba Sounds
  • Ray Bryant Trio – Piano Piano PianoRay Bryant Trio – Piano Piano Piano
  • Curtis Fuller – New TromboneCurtis Fuller – New Trombone
  • Phil Woods / Gene Quill / Sahib Shihab / Hal Stein – Four AltosPhil Woods / Gene Quill / Sahib Shihab / Hal Stein – Four Altos
  • Thelonious Monk – Thelonious HimselfThelonious Monk – Thelonious Himself
  • Thelonious Monk – Monk’s MusicThelonious Monk – Monk’s Music
  • Thelonious Monk – Mulligan Meets MonkThelonious Monk – Mulligan Meets Monk
  • Hank Mobley Quintet – Introducing Lee MorganHank Mobley Quintet – Introducing Lee Morgan
  • Various Artists – Trumpets All OutVarious Artists – Trumpets All Out
  • John Lewis – The John Lewis PianoJohn Lewis – The John Lewis Piano
  • Warne Marsh – Warne MarshWarne Marsh – Warne Marsh
  • Paul Chambers – Paul Chambers QuintetPaul Chambers – Paul Chambers Quintet
  • Sonny Clark – Dial “S” For SonnySonny Clark – Dial “S” For Sonny
  • Lee Morgan – CandyLee Morgan – Candy
  • Leroy Vinnegar Sextet – Leroy Walks!Leroy Vinnegar Sextet – Leroy Walks!
  • Max Roach + 4 – On the Chicago SceneMax Roach + 4 – On the Chicago Scene
  • Paul Quinichette – For BasiePaul Quinichette – For Basie
  • King Pleasure Sings / Annie Ross SingsKing Pleasure Sings / Annie Ross Sings
  • Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin’Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin’
  • Tommy Flanagan – OverseasTommy Flanagan – Overseas
  • Mose Allison – Young Man MoseMose Allison – Young Man Mose
  • Max Roach – Deeds, Not WordsMax Roach – Deeds, Not Words
  • Dizzy Reece – Blues in TrinityDizzy Reece – Blues in Trinity
  • Cecil Taylor Quartet – Looking Ahead!Cecil Taylor Quartet – Looking Ahead!
  • Stanley Turrentine – Look Out!Stanley Turrentine – Look Out!
  • Horace Parlan – Us ThreeHorace Parlan – Us Three
  • Benny Bailey – Big BrassBenny Bailey – Big Brass
  • Thelonious Monk Quartet – Monk’s DreamThelonious Monk Quartet – Monk’s Dream
  • Elvin Jones – And Then AgainElvin Jones – And Then Again
  • Roland Kirk – Rip, Rig and PanicRoland Kirk – Rip, Rig and Panic
  • Richard Davis – Epistrophy & Now’s The TimeRichard Davis – Epistrophy & Now’s The Time