Mike Clark: Humble As He Goes
All About Jazz
Monday, March 11, 2024
Drummer/composer/bandleader Mike Clark's resume is as diverse as his talent and, in turn, his discography. The man who dramatically raised his public profile by sitting at the kit for Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters has gone on to record in a wide variety of settings, with a panoply of people, including guitarist extraordinaire Charlie Hunter, British fusioneers Brand X plus once and future member of The Meters, George Porter Jr.. Somewhat contrary to Clark's restless, eclectic spirit, both of these releases showcase a deep affinity for traditional acoustic jazz and the indomitable drummer plays with an effortless facility throughout the pair. At the same time, he quite humbly integrates his skills into the respective collectives and, in doing so, only further validates his own distinct, musicianly persona.
In aligning himself on Kosen Rufu with such estimable figures as trumpeter Eddie Henderson and pianist Wayne Horvitz, Mike Clark displays what may well be the greatest of all his virtues, that is, his willingness to humbly immerse himself in what he is doing and, by extension, refusing to merely dabble. Thus, it's only natural these eleven tracks commence with a bracing shuffle that sounds like an excerpt from a lengthier performance, at the very point the ensemble hits its collective stride. Similarly, the elements of free playing wax and wane over the course of this sixty-minute album and never more so than on its longest track, the 9:15 of "MC's Thing:" angular, indirect elements seamlessly give way to the straight ahead, then back again. And on a cover of Eric Dolphy's, "Hat And Beard," saxophonist Skerik's interactions with the groundbreaking Horvitz leave plenty of room for expansion of personnel as well ideas. Recordings by Jean Christophe Santalis (mixed by Alberto Hernandez and Gregory Howe for mastering by Justin Weis) accentuate the space between as well as the timber of instruments; most notable among those are Bill Summers' popping percussion plus multiple appearances of electric piano, like that of "Signature." On "Distance Between Leaves" as well as "Olivia," it's clear everyone involved in this project was tuned to the very same frequency.