Amoeba Music

By Stuart Kremsky

          As the drummer in the house band at Minton’s Playhouse in the early Forties, Kenny Clarke virtually invented the bebop percussion style, with rhythmic innovations that included a cymbal beat with off-beat accents on the snare and bass drum. Clarke continued to be in the forefront of musical developments throughout the decade and into the Fifties, when he performed with the Miles Davis “Birth of the Cool” nonet and became a founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. In 1956, he left for Europe and lived there for the rest of his life. He co-led a big band with Belgian arranger and pianist Francy Boland, while continuing to play in small groups... Read More

City Of Origin:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Genre:

Jazz, Bop

Birthdate:

01/09/1914

Death date:

01/26/1985