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.
Besides Mike Clark himself, the main link of continuity between these two titles is, not surprisingly, bassist Henry Franklin (aka 'The Skipper' ). Accordingly, the latter's bond with Clark supplies a crucial center of gravity for a larger collection of participants than on its companion piece and while it's not always true that the numbers of participants translates into wider expression of imagination, Escapement lives up to its name. As if intended as a carefully-conceived extension of its counterpart LP, the inviting audio quality of the album—not surprisingly courtesy most of the same technical experts—makes the record worth listening to in and of itself. Still, the sonics wouldn't mean much if it were not for the bold eloquence of these eleven musicians: the product of their creativity often calls to mind the iconic keyboardist/composer Herbie Hancock's work immediately upon leaving the employ of Miles Davis. So, the loosely-arranged title song and "Centrifugal" invite favorable comparisons to Fat Albert Rotunda (Warner Bros., 1969) as much as "Certified Clockwork," where the line between improvisation and composition is virtually indistinguishable (as is also the case on the closer of this title's complementary longplayer, "Apparition"). Meanwhile, the spare orchestration accents tracks such as "The Balance Board," adding yet another palpable touch of elegance to intricate arrangements and correspondingly dense musicianship that mirror the colorful detail of this cover art.