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Clark Tracey (born 5 February 1961) is a British jazz drummer, band leader, and composer.

Life and career

Tracey first played piano and vibraphone before switching to drums at age 13, studying under Bryan Spring. Tracey played in several ensembles with his father Stan Tracey from 1978 until 2013, including a quartet called Fathers and Sons with John and Alec Dankworth in the 1990s. In addition to his extensive work with his father, Tracey has played with many visiting American musicians such as Scott Hamilton, Johnny Griffin, Red Rodney, Barney Kessell, John Hicks and Pharoah Sanders throughout his career. He also worked and recorded with Buddy DeFranco and Martin Taylor from 1984–86, then with Charlie Rouse (1988), Alan Skidmore in Hong Kong (1989), Tommy Smith (1989), and Guy Barker (1992).

He has led his own ensembles since the early 1980s; in these combos he has played with Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Guy Barker, Jamie Talbot, Mark Nightingale, Dave O'Higgins, Steve Melling, Nigel Hitchcock, Gerard Presencer, Mornington Lockett, Jean Toussaint, Simon Allen, Kit Downes, Zoe Rahman and Alan Barnes. As a bandleader he has had two tours of the Far East, Yugoslavia, France, Gibraltar and Finland as well as many national UK tours. Following his reputation for hiring highly talented youngsters, his current quintet includes luminaries Chris Maddock, Henry Armburg Jennings, Harry Bolt and Daniel Casimir.

He has been awarded "Best Drums" in the British Jazz Awards three times and in 2007 won "Best Drums" at the Ronnie Scott's Club Awards and his quintet won the Best Performance Award for Birmingham Jazz in 2006.

Clark took over promotions for Herts Jazz in 2009 and now runs a weekly jazz club in Welwyn Garden City and an annual jazz festival. He runs two record labels with his wife, Sylvia Rae Tracey, Tentoten Records and Resteamed Records, the latter dedicated to re-issues on CD of his father's recordings, and a download website Givemejazz. Clark Tracey has written Exploring Jazz Drums for Schott Publishing and he is an educator at the Birmingham Conservatoire and the Purcell School of Music.

Stage and film

• 
  The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by Anthony Minghella
  


• 
  Lady Day, starring Dee Dee Bridgewater, West End show


• 
  Lenny, starring Eddie Izzard, directed by Sir Peter Hall, West End Show

Discography

As leader

• 
  Suddenly Last Tuesday (Cadillac, 1986)


• 
  Stiperstones (Steam, 1987)


• 
  We've Been Expecting You (33 Jazz, 1992)


• 
  Full Speed Sideways (33 Jazz, 1994)


• 
  Bootleg Eric, Dave Newton/Clark Tracey Octet (1998)


• 
  Stability (Linn, 2001)


• 
  British Standard Time (Tentoten, 2005)


• 
  The Calling (Tentoten, 2005)


• 
  The Mighty Sas (Tentoten, 2006)


• 
  Given Time (Tentoten, 2008)


• 
  Current Climate (Tentoten, 2009)


• 
  Special Septet, Steve Melling/Clark Tracey Septet (Melljazz, 2011)


• 
  Meantime (Tentoten, 2014)

with Stan Tracey

• Stan Tracey Trio + various artists: Soul Street
  


• Stan Tracey: Solo/Trio
  


• Stan Tracey Duo/Trio: Soundcheck
  


• Stan Tracey Trio: For All We Know
  


• Stan Tracey Trio: Seventy Something
  


• Stan Tracey Trio: Zach's Dream
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: Senior Moment
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: Let Them Crevulate
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: The Last Time I Saw You
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: South East Assignment
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: The Poets' Suite
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: For Heaven's Sake
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet: Comme d'Habitude
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet + Ben Tracey: A Child's Christmas
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet + Philip Madoc: Under Milk Wood
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet + Charlie Rouse: Playin' in the Yard
  


• Stan Tracey Quartet + Sal Nistico: Live in London
  


• Stan Tracey Quintet: The Flying Pig
  


• Stan Tracey Sextet: The Crompton Suite
  


• Stan Tracey's Hexad: Live at Ronnie Scott's
  


• Stan Tracey's Spectrum: Tribute to Monk
  


• Stan Tracey Octet: Portraits Plus
  


• Stan Tracey Octet: The Later Works
  


• Stan Tracey With Various: Now
  


• Stan Tracey With Various: Live at the QEH
  


• Stan Tracey Orchestra: The Durham Connection
  


• Stan Tracey Orchestra: We Still Love You Madly
  


• Stan Tracey Orchestra: Genesis & More
  

References

• Mark Gilbert, "Clark Tracey". Grove Jazz online.

External links

• 
  Clark Tracey – official site


• 
  Clark Tracey discography at Discogs