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Jacoby Auditorium, Roseburg Oregon, (great acoustics!) |
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Solo Sets:
I have collected a running repertoire of about 40 songs to perform at clubs, concerts and school festivals, chosen from a broad palette of songwriters, ranging from classic standards, Brazilian, to adult contemporary, and new original material.Clark's next gig is Sunday, February 12th 2012 6:00 to 8:00 pm Honoring St Valentine at the
Northridge Mehodist Church. (
9650 Reseda Blvd (at Superior)
Northridge, CA 91324.)
Come and see me at Northridge Methodist, Sun. Feb 12, 6:00pm, with Karen Hammack and Jimmy Hughart, Jazz Vespers, "From The Heart". Pass it on!
Friends:
I've been enjoying the company of old friends here at home in Southern California, and new friends in Canada, musicians & singers who are such a pleasure to sing with... . I'm truly blessed! I hope to continue and expand these experiences.
On June 27, 2010, the California Pop & Jazz Council paid tribute to Herb Jeffries, at the Catalina Jazz club in Hollywood. Topping the list of artists, Clark Burroughs of the Hi-Lo's surprised the audience by recounting an early recording session the group did, backing Herb Jeffries. The session was for Trend Records, the group's first record label, also Herb's, at the time. Clark capped the bill with his personal solo version of the Hi-Lo's noted recording "Ol' Rockin' Chair's Got Me"
He and Jeffries also have another thing in common. both were featured in Western Cowboy Films. Herb, in the 30's as "The
Bronze Buckroo" and Clark, in the 40's as Gene Autry's teenage buddy in "Cow Town ". -Both very far from Jazz fame, and many years before this reunion at the Catalina Club!
House concert, Bob Murphy's
After going to a house concert at Bob Murphy's place in Canada, August, '09, I sent emails back to my colleagues in L.A. and around the U.S. here's an excerpt:
ORGANIC HOME GROWN JAZZ:
When I' m home, my local Saturday morning Camarillo farmer's market is where I get most of our veggies. And there's nothing like dropping in at McGrath's farm and picking up a fresh, live head of Lalo Rosso, taking it home, and chowing down with a home made dressing.
It seems I'm developing a taste for a parallel experience in music.
Sunday night I dropped by my friend, Bob Murphy's elegant, tiny home, a loft overlooking Vancouver's Second Narrows bay. The occasion was a house concert, featuring his friend, Mike Allen, playing tenor sax, and Bob on his 9 foot Yamaha Grand piano. You must believe me, the immediacy, the physical, non -amplified sound was overwhelming in its beauty.
Bob Murphy is a Giant at the piano. From the sweet upper figures, like finch conversations, to the thundering lower register funk passages, no key of his piano goes un-played. Unlike so many virtuoso jazz players he uses silence as punctuation, leaving out notes, particularly in the rhyhmic bass passages, where the "fee fi fo fum" is evident! The effect hits me right in the gut. The thundering giant is in the room!
--To hear music played up close and personal, is about as good as it gets, particularly with talent of this caliber. Truly as organic and unadulterated, no artificial ingredients, freshly picked, downright delicious as any meal, -and healthful for your soul !!
Well, I received many replies from back home, concurring with that experience. A few days later, Bob calls me, and guess what!!-- Yours truly gets to sing two 40 minute sets in that same beautiful space!
I had never sung a solo house concert before, but they did come, and filled the small venue. Believe me, it was just as cool performing in that intimate chamber, as it was sitting and listening in the audience...Bob Murphy is a ten ton player in my book, and what a joy to have that caliber of talent backing me up!
Jazz in Canoga Park, Ca.:
Back a couple of summers ago, before they closed the Jazz policy there, I would frequently drop in at "Henri's Back Room", an intimate Jazz Club in the west valley, not far from our home.
Many local legendary musicians were featured. The San Fernando valley is home for most of L. A.'s Studio musicians. On a night that I was there, Pete Christleib and Carl Saunders were appearing, with residents, John Hammond & Jimmy Hughart, long-time friends of mine.
John turns from the piano, and says -- "Want to sing something ,Clark?" (I'm used to hard-copy charts, & plenty of rehearsal.) -- My heart skips a beat, I swallow hard, -try to stay cool, "uh, well yeah -- o.k.!
(how could I not?) " How about "Miss Jones"? -( Now what key?)" How 'bout 'F'?", I blurted--just hoping.----Now, these men are hard-core in-your-face boppers! I'm fighting back the intimidation--so I started just "vocalese-ing" the tune, no lyrics, just playing around , in my best Chet Bakerish feel. Of course they caught it immediately and entered in with those cool, west coast Mulliganesque whole notes! I was jacked! I started the lyrics at the bridge and went from there. This was great fun! Everyone on the stand did a section of solo work, and somehow we all ended in a 3 part stack, Carl on my right, Pete on my left ----Pure Elation!!
I expect to be adding to this page, so keep checking in!
