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Kenny Clarke

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Kenny Clarke

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Also known as Klook, Kenneth Clarke Spearman, Kenneth S. Clark, Kenneth Spearman Clarke

American jazz drummer (1914–1985)

OverviewAI-generated

Kenny Clarke was an American jazz musician, drummer, bandleader, and conductor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 9, 1914, he began his work period in 1931. He played the drum kit and was associated with the genres of jazz and bebop. His career included affiliations with the Modern Jazz Quartet and the record label Blue Note. He was a member of the African American ethnic group and held citizenship in the United States.

Clarke received the NEA Jazz Masters award and was represented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He practiced Islam and was male. He died on January 26, 1985, in Paris, Montreuil. His funeral was a significant event. He is referenced by 809 other encyclopedia articles and has works listed in the Crossref database.

Synthesized by Vinony from 33 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Crossref, Last.fm, TMDb, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Film & TV

Sound · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914 – January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-hat, along with the use of the bass drum for irregular accents ("dropping bombs"). Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was orphaned at the age of about…

Known for

  • Les Rendez-vous du dimanche — Self1975
  • Midi Première — Self1975
  • Discorama — Self1959
  • NDR Jazz Workshops — Self1958

via TMDB

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
14,248
Total plays
73,839

Tags

jazzbebopdrumsamericanjazzdrums

Kenny Clarke (born Kenneth Clarke Spearman, later aka, Liaqat Ali Salaam, on January 9, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-died January 26, 1985 in Paris, France) was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming. As the house drummer at Minton's Playhouse in the early 1940's, he participated in the after hours jams that led to the birth of modern jazz. He is credited with creating the modern role of the ride cymbal as the primary timekeeper. <a href="https://www.last.fm/mus

via Last.fm · Kenny Clarke

Key facts

Born
Kenneth Clarke Spearman , ( 1914-01-09 ) January 9, 1914, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , U.S.
Died
January 26, 1985 (1985-01-26) (aged 71), Montreuil , France
Genres
Jazz
Occupation
Musician
Instrument
Drums
Years active
1931–1984
Formerly of
Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Modern Jazz Quartet The Three Bosses Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Family name
Clarke
Gender
male
Citizenship
United States
Place of birth
Pittsburgh
Place of death
Montreuil
Occupation
percussionist
Religion
Islam
Genre
bebop
Instrument
drum kit
Record label
Blue Note
Image
Finale Internationaal Jazz Festival Loosdrecht, drummer Kenny Clarke, Bestanddeelnr 924-7968.jpg
Significant event
funeral
Show 6 more facts
date of birth
1914-01-09
date of death
1985-01-26
Commons category
Kenny Clarke
start of work period
1931-00-00
ethnic group
African Americans
Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~20 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914 – January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-hat, along with the use of the bass drum for irregular accents ("dropping bombs").

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was orphaned about age five and began playing drums when he was eight or nine at the urging of a teacher at his orphanage. He turned professional in 1931 at age 17; four years later, he moved to New York City where he began to establish his drumming style and reputation. As the house drummer at Minton's Playhouse in the early 1940s, he participated in the after-hours jams that led to the birth of bebop.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Kenny Clarke” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (2)