As ever, drummer Mike Clark refuses to conform to anyone’s expectations on Itai Doshin, set for release October 3, 2025—the leader’s 79th birthday—via Wide Hive Records. The celebrated Californian’s second Wide Hive album is a searing set of (mostly) straight-ahead jazz that keeps listeners guessing, even as it never wavers from Clark’s solid, unerring sense of swing.
Joining Clark for the festivities is a true all-star quintet: trumpeter and NEA Jazz Master Eddie Henderson, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, pianist Patrice Rushen, and bassist Henry “The Skipper” Franklin.
What “Itai Doshin” Means
The album’s title, Itai Doshin, comes from Japanese and translates to “many in body, one in mind.” Rooted in Nichiren Buddhism, it describes a state in which people unite in both spirit and purpose. Jazz musicians might call it being “in the pocket.” On this album, Clark and company embody that concept fully—finding a shared groove and passing it seamlessly among one another in improvisations.
“Itai Doshin accurately and honestly captures where I am as a jazz artist at this point,” Clark explains. “The artists I have chosen to play on this date, along with the arrangements of Towner Galaher, brought my musical vision to life. … As a Buddhist bandleader, I can say that this band delivers Actual Proof!”
Inside the Music
Produced by Wide Hive’s Gregory Howe, arranged by drummer Towner Galaher, and framed by two hard-driving versions of Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” (Clark’s unofficial theme song), the album thrives on variety and surprise.
Highlights include:
-
A tender ballad treatment of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee”, with a luminous Franklin solo.
-
A funk-infused Fender Rhodes spin on Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.”
-
Clark’s own rollicking jump-blues original, “Yakini’s Dance,” driven by Henderson and Rushen.
-
An unexpected free-jazz workout, “Savant Clark,” showcasing Clark’s rhythmic abstraction and ties to his boundary-breaking past.
This eclecticism reflects Clark’s wide-ranging career—from his iconic role in Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters to his decades of collaborations with artists like Tony Bennett, Dave Liebman, Julius Hemphill, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and countless others.
A Life in Rhythm
Born in Sacramento, California, on October 3, 1946, Clark was raised in a household where jazz ran deep—his father, George, was both a union man and a drummer. By age four, Clark was already astounding his father with Gene Krupa licks and sitting in with bands.
By the early 1970s, Clark had become a central figure in the Bay Area jazz scene, working seven nights a week with bassist Paul Jackson before joining Hancock’s Headhunters in 1973. That gig secured Clark’s place as one of jazz and funk’s most distinctive drummers, known for fusing groove, swing, and bold improvisation.
Over the decades, Clark has never stopped evolving, building a discography that cements his reputation as both an innovator and a torchbearer of jazz tradition.
Release Shows
Clark will celebrate the release of Itai Doshin with live performances featuring the album band (with Essiet Essiet subbing for Franklin):
-
SFJAZZ, San Francisco – Saturday, Oct. 4 & Sunday, Oct. 5
-
Kuumbwa Jazz, Santa Cruz – Monday, Oct. 6
With Itai Doshin, Mike Clark demonstrates that at 79, he’s still not only swinging, but pushing jazz forward with fearless energy and creativity.
No comments:
Post a Comment