Kim A. Clarke

New York's own Kim Clarke is a multifaceted bassist, composer, website developer and educator. She performs alternately on the Acoustic Bass, Electric Upright and four and five-stringed Electric Bass Guitar as the situation demands. Her electric Bass playing has been described as soulful, funky, rich & tight. She hold B.A.'s in Communications and Music from City College and Long Island University respectively, and is a 3- time recipient of the coveted N E A Jazz Study Fellowship. Ms Clarke is also a long-time student of the Barry Harris Workshop  and member of Harris' Jazz Cultural Theatre's house band for the famed Art Blakey Breakfast Jam. Kim 's musical tour experience spans from Guyana ,South America through the West and East Coasts of the United States , and touches Canada, Japan ,Russia,China & Pakistan. She however has traveled most extensively in Western Europe. In 1981 she embarked upon what was to become a 40 year tour affiliation with trombonist Joseph Bowie and his avant-jazz funk unit Defunkt ; a powerful mixed idiom group which wowed audiences from Iceland to Istanbul. She performed on 23 Defunkt CD's gaining kudos as "nearly the funkiest bass player in NY",mention in several articles  and videos by Red Hot Chili Peppers and having been a "whiz bassist" "in killer form" , compared with such funky bass Icons as Bootsy Collins. Defunkt's mention in Ivan Bartowski's Jazz Family Tree Map is considered a supreme honor. Ms Clarke's press exposure also includes 1990 entry in the Who's Who In the Performing Arts,, Bass Player Magazine, Guitar Player Magazine, Germany's Jazzdimensions Online Magazine, a number of European magazines and several books on Women in Jazz. She also was photographed in the late 1980's historic Jazz Musicians on the Roof Project and was one of the Michael Locker's New York Jazz Musicians Project in 2002. As an Acoustic bassist she traveled most notably with the late Joe Henderson Quartet (1986-7) throughout Europe. Internationally she is noted as "at home in the Ron Carter School of HardBop", "a dynamic Woman in Jazz who supported the intense rhythm of the Henderson group with unsuspected vitality and melodic solo passages..." Over the years Kim has also toured with international artists such as: George Gruntz , Annie Whitehead, Christy Doran, Marilyn Mazur, and Ursula Dudziak. Her experiences include tours with the National Black Theatre, Yusef Lateef Quartet, Teri Thornton Trio, Bertha Hope Trio, Robert Palmer , Kit McClure Big Band, Defunkt , Rachel Z Trio, Bigfood, Wallace Roney and Cindy Blackman Quartet, Oliver Lake and Jump Up, James Blood Ulmer Experience, Jack Mc Duff Quartet, Rodney Kendricks Quartet, and local performances with: Harold Ousley, Jimmy Heath , Steve Coleman, Lester Bowie, Andy Bey, Louis Hayes, Gerald Hayes, the late Lionel Hampton, Candido, Patato, Little Jimmy Scott, Dr.

Billy Taylor, Olu Dara, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Dakota Staton , Gracian Moncur, the late Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Marylou Williams, Sharon Freeman, Sheila Jordan, Geri Allen, Vanessa Rubin , Cassandra Wilson, Fievre Latina, Adela Dalto, poets Ntozake Shange and Trazana Beverly, dancers Tina Pratt and Roxanne Butterfly, and rapper/actress Queen Latifah. In 1997 she and a good friend Rob Scheps formed a group MAGNETS! which began its touring life in Oregon . In 2000 the band recorded "MAGNETS! Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival" in Seattle which Kim co-produced with long-time Defunkt bandmate, trumpeter John Mulkerin. The band had the honor of invitation to the PerCuba and Kathmandu Jazz Festivals in 2002. From 2003-09 Kim co-produced the "LADY GOT CHOPS Women's Month Jazz Festival" with the owners of the Jazz -Lillithe Myersand her daughter Tiecha Merritt. The cafe closed in 2009. Kim organized the 2010- 22 festivals in 15 venues through the boroughs, Long Island and Peekskill NY. The festival included a dance troupe in 2010 and had been renamed the LADY GOT CHOPS Women's History Month Music and Arts Festival.It is still a grassroots venture with global promotion of women's accomplishments in the arts. She has worked in NY's Latin Music Scene -which includes two times being asked to perform on a float up NY's 5th Ave. tenor saxophonist Charles Davis and with a Jimi Hendrix Tribute tour which featured guitar virtuoso Christy Doran.Kim has also performed at the Marylou Williams Jazz Festival at Kennedy Center PLays:Eubie, The Wiz, Really Rosie,The Baby Janes in Holiday Kisses,National Black Theatre's Soul Journey Into Truth. Her tribute band, Aqua Ninjas, features the music of George Duke, Jef Lee Johnson and Don Blackman:Discography can be accessed : http://kimclarke.mysite.com/disk.html

Awards

 Ivan Bartowski- mention on Jazz FAmily Tree Map,2019 Queens Arts Fund Award BY Queens Council On The Arts with public funds from the NYC Departmnet of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council,
2018 Trailblazing Women and Arts Institutions Award by Rhythmcolor Associates
2017 Jazz Impact Award by Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium 2015 Jazz Heroes Award by the Jazz Journalists Assn., 2014 Bean Runner Festival Founders Award,2013 Central Brooklyn Jazz Foundation Founders Award,2012 Women's Academy of Excellence Philanthropic Award, 2010 Banana Pudding Jazz Golden Chekere Award, 2010 Women's Academy Of Excellence Community Service Award,2008 New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit and Certificate of Congressional recognition in recognition of outstanding service to the community,2008 Elmcor's EAA Satchmo award for Music/Entertainment, 1995 Special Recognition Bennett College Alumni Ms Clarke is pictured in the female recreation of the famed A Great Day In Harlem photo : The Girls In The Band 2008 ,Minton's Playhouse Jazz Photo shoot 2010,Mike Lockers 2002 New York Jazz Musicians Project, Downtown Jazz Musicians photo (circa 1980's)Kim also appears in Marquis Who's Who in Entertainment, Guitar Player (1988)and Bass Player Magazine (91)

Gear

Fichterbassee electric upright,Acoustic Image, Music Man, Elrick,ESP. Flitesound cab, German flatback bass,