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Kevin B. Clark

At the age of 24, jazz guitarist Kevin B. Clark has been described as “one of the stars of tomorrows’ jazz guitar.” His unique approach to the electric guitar, combining a highly refined technical prowess with a style of playing that is unique to his personality, sets him apart from his contemporaries. His musical language is harmonically inventive and fresh, while still drawing from the examples set by the great masters of modern jazz. It has been said that “Kevin’s true skill is not just in his virtuosic prowess, but his capacity to merge these influences together to create unique, exhilarating music that is never mired in abstraction.”

Kevin B. Clark is a jazz guitarist from Long Island, New York. He began his musical studies on guitar at age 13. By the time Mr. Clark was 16, he concentrated primarily on jazz. He performs regularly in New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. He has performed and recorded with numerous premier jazz artists, including John Abercrombie, Jack Dejohnette, Gary Thomas, David Kikoski, Clarence Penn, David Binney, Peter Erskine, Ed Howard, Nasheet Waits, Jack Wilkins, Dave Pietro, and Warren Wolf. He has performed across the United States, as well as internationally in Japan and Singapore.

In 2008, Kevin performed at the North Texas State Jazz Festival, earning an “Outstanding Soloist” award. He was also designated a finalist for the 2008 Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble, which accepted applicants from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Other awards Kevin has earned include the 2008 Louis Armstrong Jazz award from Garden City High School, the 2008 Barry Manilow Music Scholarship from Garden City High School, the 2008 Max Corzilius Jazz Scholarship from the Peabody Conservatory, the 2011 Charlie Byrd Endowed Endowed Memorial Scholarship in guitar, and the 2012 James Winship Lewis Endowed Memorial Prize for performance.

As an educator, Kevin teaches private lessons in guitar, improvisation, composition, and music theory. He has taught classes, ensembles, and masterclasses on both high school and college level at schools including the Peabody Conservatory, Caroll Community College, and the Baltimore School for the Arts. Kevin’s primary teachers have included Gary Thomas, Paul Bollenback, Stephen Salerno, and Jim Durso. In 2012, he received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory, and in 2014 he earned a Graduate Peformance Diploma from Peabody under a full tuition scholarship.

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150
Album Review

Kevin Clark: Zahara

Read "Zahara" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Kevin Clark, who plays piano, flugelhorn and trumpet, is a man of varied musical persuasion. Besides playing solo piano, he has a trio, a Dixieland band (The Dixie Dudes), and a Latin band (Los Gringos). The last is acknowledged as the leading Latin Band in New Zealand, Clark's native land.

Clark has an abiding passion for Latin American music. He has traveled to Cuba, where he studied and played the music. Los Gringos became an extension of that ...

126
Album Review

Kevin Clark: Once Upon A Song I Flew

Read "Once Upon A Song I Flew" reviewed by AAJ Staff


So-called “world jazz" never found as international a traveler as Kevin Clark. His independently- released record Once Upon A Song I Flew takes its title to heart in both transcontinental and transcendental senses. Clark left South Africa three decades ago for New Zealand, but he never abandoned his roots. In the interim, he has traveled and absorbed styles from South America and the Caribbean. All that translates into a gentle marriage between discovery and tradition, realized here on this (mostly) ...

208
Album Review

Kevin Clark/Terry McDermott: New Orleans Jazz Brunch

Read "New Orleans Jazz Brunch" reviewed by Dave Nathan


New Orleans jazz, or Dixieland as it is often regrettably called, has been written off as a vital part of jazz more times than one can count. But it continues to be performed by a wide range of musicians for appreciative audiences all over the world. Attempts to bury it by its detractors fall into the category of wishful thinking. Here two former members of one of the more famous New Orleans groups, the Dukes of Dixieland, get together to ...

183
Album Review

Kevin Clark & Tom McDermott: New Orleans Jazz Brunch

Read "New Orleans Jazz Brunch" reviewed by Jim Santella


New Orleans Jazz Brunch comes with complete recipes for:Chick-Pea Salad,Huevos Rancheros,Green Bean Casserole,Curry Chicken & Mushroom Noodles,andFried Apples & Pecans.

A family potluck gathering? I'll bring the drinks. This is light music that will make your dinner an enjoyable occasion.

Kevin Clark has a pleasant trumpet tone that blends immediately with Tom McDermott's loping rhythms. This is a laid back affair – a Sunday morning brunch with no cares or worries. “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," this duo performs ...

366
Album Review

Kevin Clark: New Orleans Trumpet

Read "New Orleans Trumpet" reviewed by Jim Santella


Whose New Orleans trumpet does the title of Kevin Clark’s recording indicate? Buddy Bolden? That one could be heard from miles away. Louis Armstrong? That one contained a tone and phrasing that influenced nearly everyone who followed. Louie Prima? Al Hirt? They brought the trad jazz trumpet sound to audiences all around the world. Preservation Hall? The Dirty Dozen Brass Band? They’re keeping the flame alive today. Influenced by all of these, today’s New Orleans trumpet representative needs to remain ...

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Guitar

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

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