New York native, Kim A.Clarke, is a single parent/new grandparent, bassist, composer, bandleader,
website developer, and earring designer. She performs alternately on the Acoustic Bass, Electric Upright , four and five-stringed Electric Bass Guitar and is the producer of LADY GOT CHOPS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ,INC A 501c3 dedicated to empowering women musicians and artists globally through exposure and upliftment..

On Electric Bass she has toured most extensively with Joseph Bowie's Jazz/Funk unit DEFUNKT 1981-2023 from which 20 CD of 36 total recordings were produced DISCOGRAPHY She is mentioned in the bio of the famed bassist Larry Graham; a great early influence on her playing concept.
As an acoustic bassist Kim traveled most notably with the late Joe Henderson Quartet (1986-7) throughout Europe and 20 plus years and 3 recordings as first bass chair with the Kit McClure Big Band. Internationally she is noted as “at home in the Ron Carter School of HardBop”, “a dynamic Woman in Jazz who supported the intense rhythm of the Henderson group with unsuspected vitality and melodic solo passages..”

Music Education

Originally self-taught she achieved B.A.'s in Communications and Music from City College 1978 and Long Island University 1990 . Blessed by her mentors at Jazzmobile Workshop and Cobi Narita of the Collective Black Artists she became a recipient of the coveted N E A Jazz Study Fellowship; under the tutelage of Bass Masters Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Lisle Atkinson respectively. Ms Clarke , a long-time student of Barry Harris Improvisational Workshops

CAREER TIMELINE
1978
Kim's first professional tour was with the National Black Theatre production of "A Soul Journey Into Truth" to Guyana and Trinidad, followed by a two month tour of the West Coast with Brother Yusef Lateef Quartet in the late 1970's. Bands led or co-led: BLACK MIRAJ at Michigan State University, BENNETT UNDERGROUND at Bennett College

1980'S
As a member of Barry Harris' Jazz Cultural Theatre's House Band for the famed Art Blakey Breakfast Jam and otherwise on the downtown NY music scene she met and worked with many Jazz greats such as: Art Blakey,Junior Cooke,Gracian Moncur, Philly Joe Jones,Harold Ousley ,Jimmy Heath,Leon Thomas,Sun Ra,Sam Rivers, George Braith and Space Island, Rashied Ali, Evelyn Blakey, Dakota Staton, Sarah Vaughn, Ed Pazant, Rahn Burton,Clifford Jordan, Richard Williams,Tommy Turrentine,Gilly Coggins,Charles Sullivan, Marvin Bugalu Smith, Steve Coleman and Five Elements,Andy Bey, Louis Hayes, Gerald Hayes, Lionel Hampton, Ed Stoute, Tootsie Bean, Arturo O'Farrill, Ray McKinley, Al Foster, Donald Byrd, Candido, Patato, Little Jimmy Scott, Dr. Billy Taylor, Nancy Wilson, Olu Dara, Screamin Jay Hawkins,Ronnie Burrage, Marilyn Mazur,Stephanie Chapman, Gracian Moncur, Sharon Freeman, Geri Allen, Johnny O’Neal ,Paula Hampton, Napoleon Revels Bey, Jaki Byard and the Apollo Stompers, Charlie Bryd Big Band. Kim's Inner Circle Q-tet raised over $25000 for Bennett College and featured Vanessa Rubin, Cassandra Wilson, Cindy Blackman, Wallace Roney, Geri Allen, Teri Thornton, Bernice Brooks and Laura Dreyer


1990'S
Kim was a member of the late Teri Thornton Trio, George Gee Big Band, Lester Bowie and Brass Fantasy, Black Rock Coalition Big Band , Defunkt Big Band, as well as a tour with Rodney Kendrick and Rhonda Ross Kendrick, and a recording on Queen Latifah's Black Reign CD. Bands led or co-led:Inner Circle Q-tet (raised over $25000 for Bennett College),Kim Clarke Trio, with saxophonist Rob Scheps she formed a band called MAGNETS! Jazz Worldbeat Band Members have included Jazz artists such as Jeff Minnieweather, George Mitchell of Portland Oregon, Bryan Carrott, Bruce Edwards, Donald Blackman, Ronnie Burrage, Marvin Bugalu Smith and Tim SicilianoHer touring experiences include work with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and Christy Doran's Hendrix Experience(of Switzerland) The Are and Be Ensemble, Teri Thornton Trio, Bertha Hope Trio, Robert Palmer ,Kit McClure Big Band, Rachel Z Trio, Wallace Roney and Cindy Blackman Quartet,Rhonda Ross-Kendrick,Oliver Lake and Jump Up, James Blood Ulmer Experience, Jack Mc Duff Quartet, Rodney Kendricks Quartet, Jazzberry Jam.

2000'S
LADY GOT CHOPS Women's Jazz Festival 2003-2009
Kim's collaboration with the owners of the Jazz (aka Jazz Spot Café), Lillithe Myers and her daughter Tiecha Merritt produced LADY GOT CHOPS Women's Month Jazz Festival-early promotion . After the closure of the host café in 2009, Kim continued the project with the support of women artists and caring club owners. Local luminairies she has performed with include: Sheila Jordan, Teri Thornton, Sister Mekea Keith, Antoinette Montague, Keisha St. Joan, Ghanniyya Green, Nikita White,Louise Bethune, Mary Wormworth, Judy Bady, JennJade Ledesna,Terri Davis, Cynthia Soriano, Beareather Reddy, Vanessa Rubin ,Cassandra Wilson, Adela Dalto, Lillian Day Jackson ,Lady Leah and Lady Kantreese Alloway, Lady Leah, Sage, Sammulous, Uptown Royalty, Tim Siciliano, Bill Bickford, Bruce Edwards,Kelvyn Bell ,Debbie Knapper and the Knappertime Band, Aziza Miller, Terri Jenoure, Jin Hi Kim, Zakkiyya Modeste,. the Ghetto Fighters (background vocalists with Jimi Hendrix),James Chance and the Contortions, and Black Velvet.Poets: Sekou Sundiata, Ntozake Shange and Trazana Beverly.
Dancers Mickey Davidson, Maria Mitchell, Tina Pratt,Tracy Mann and Roxanne Butterfly. Bill Bickford's Avant Funk "BIGFOOD"


2010's
The 10th Annual Festival honored Cobi Narita, Wendy Oxenhorn and the owners of the Jazz Spot Cafe, Lillithe Meyers and Tiecha Merritt. During the Haiti Crisis of 2010 participants collectively donated over $1400 to Doctors Without Borders. LADY GOT CHOPS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL,INC became a 501c3 and incorporated in 2015 and continues to celebrate women in music, dance and visual arts. Scenes from the 17 Annual LADY GOT CHOPS Women's History Month Music & Arts Festival held at Flushing Town Hall 3/2019
The festival remains a voluntary labor of love in memory of Kim's mother who dedicated so much of her life to uplifting women thru educational opportunity. Ultimately Kim envisions mirroring and sharing the type of festival experience she was so blessed to have been a part of overseas.
Bands led or co-led: AWOL Angels With Outstanding Lawyers-originals group,Gaiafest All -Stars,Jamaikit Funky -feel good dance band
AQUA NINJAZ DYNAMIC MUSIQUE TRIBUTE ENSEMBLE In 2017 she had the honor of a tour to China with Mark Zhu, Chuangye Liu, Ronnie Burrage and Wayne Escofery which included the Dalian University of the Arts and the new Beijing Blue Note and a side visit to the Great Wall of China.

2020's
Prior to and after the Covid 19 pandemic Kim has been hosting the Jazz Foundation Jam Session @ Local 802 and NATIONAL JAZZ MUSEUM IN HARLEM with Zeke Mullins and Kiyoko Layne, The Rafik Williamson Quartet, Black Girls Rock Orchestra, Jazz Foundation and Steve Jordan's Tribute to Charlie Parker :"BIRD CALLS",(56:44) Felicia Collins's tribute to Marvin Gaye @ Prospect Park bandshell for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, 2021 the first Sugar Hill Jazz Festival participant, Miki Yamanaka's 75th Miki's Mood Home Streamed Concert June 2022
Kim Clarke Quintet @ Jazz by The Water on Governor's Island.She teamed up with Joseph Bowie and Lucid Lucia , a wonderful band from Belgium to perform in the Netherlands and sing lead a rare opportunity. .She returned to Dalian (July 2024) and performed on a Black History Month tour with Ronnie Burrage's Holographic Principle Band 2024. to perform at BARRY'S PLACE, a performance space created by students Chuangye Liu and friends in honor of Professor Dr.Barry Harris memory. Bertha Hope's Elmo Hope Project for the 28th Annual Jazz Foundation of America Loft Party, The 23st Annual LADY GOT CHOPS Fest calendar-online and digital March 2025 We honor the heavenly transition of Lillithe Meyers 2021 ,Queen Mother of the NY Jazz Scene Cobi Narita Nov 8,2023 and the infinately gifted Bernard Wright.
In March of 2025 she completed a tour to Mamelodi, and Johannesburg South Africa and well as peforming as guest with the JCFI Music Ensemble :Indlela", in the 3rd Annual Global Jazz Women Festival in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) Currently she performs in the BERTHA HOPE QUINTET for the year-long Elmo Hope Centennial concert series ELMO@100
and with Tim Siciliano Duo and Trio.
As Educator


Kim has been a member of Mickey Davidson's Dance Rhythm Dance Troupe and Napoleon Revels-Bey Educational Ensembles which bring history of Dance and Jazz to numerous schools in the NY area. She has also collaborated on developing a study program, with pianist Bertha Hope and company through the Jazz Foundation of America geared to mentorship of Bronx high school girls through Jazz Studies at Womens Academy of Excellence and other schools. Prior workshop/teaching experience includes private students most notably Reggie Hamilton,and at venues such as: Boys Harbor NY,Guitar Institute of Technology,London, Feierwerk Jazztage und Blues Werkshop, Munich Germany, Portland State University, Oregon,Reed College, Columbia Basin College and Whitman Colleges Washington State.

Early background


Kim is a granddaughter of Caribbean Vaudeville Trombonist/Bassist/Bandleader