In this hour-long presentation/performance Jim Clark presents his personal "top ten" list of most influential African American jazz saxophonists. He'll speak about their background, defining elements of their style, and perform songs associated with each artist, incorporating some of their stylistic elements in his playing. Artists on his list include Sidney Bechet, [...]
Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, could have no idea of the profound and unexpected ways his creation would influence the music world. In this hour-long program, we explore Adolph Sax’s invention from its inception until today, in a variety of the musical settings in which it has been featured. We will also [...]
I am very happy to announce my new album "Old as New - Songs from the Imaginary Great American Songbook" will be available Saturday, October 8, 3:00 PM at the Norwalk Public Library! This is a "Meet the Composer" event. I'll play cuts from the album, talk about the recording process, songwriting process and the [...]
When legendary trumpeter Miles Davis was asked “What is jazz?” his answer was – “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.” Although his playing was certainly a masterful demonstration of jazz, there is no record of him ever actually answering the question. To answer this question, Jim will [...]
Excerpt from "What is Jazz?" at the Stratford Library
"Georgia On My Mind" from Norwalk Concert On The Green
"Moonlight in Vermont" from the Great American Songbook Concert Series at the Darien Library
Excerpt from Great American Songwriting Teams, Part 1 at the Darien Library.
The compositions of brothers Ira and George Gershwin made an indelible imprint in the Great American Songbook. Although they both collaborated with others, their work together produced many hits, including: Embraceable You, A Foggy Day, I Got Rhythm, Our Love Is Here to Stay, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, 'S Wonderful, Someone [...]