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, Rovi