Clark Tracey, son of the legendary UK jazz pianist Stan Tracey, grew up immersed in jazz. From 1978 to 2013, he played in various ensembles with his father, touring globally. Throughout his career, Tracey has collaborated with numerous American jazz icons, including Bud Shank, Johnny Griffin, and Pharoah Sanders. He also worked with Buddy DeFranco, Martin Taylor, Charlie Rouse, Alan Skidmore, Tommy Smith, and Claire Martin. In 2011, he joined the European Jazz Ensemble, touring and recording with them until 2017. We had the pleasure of discussing his illustrious career after a sold-out performance at London’s 606 Club.
Clark, thank you for taking the time to speak with us about your career and your music. Growing up in a household where your father, Stan, was a jazz legend and your mother, Jackie, was a pioneering A&R head at Decca Records as well as a jazz club owner, what are your earliest memories of how this unique environment shaped your musical journey?
From my earliest awareness, of course, it didn’t seem out of place to have parents who were so heavily involved in music and the jazz scene. Only as I grew older did I realise this wasn’t the norm. Quite the reverse, in fact, we were quite isolated from the rest of society. After my traumatic school years, I had decided that there was nothing else I was interested in, so I accepted that for better or worse I was destined to become a jazz drummer. I learnt a lot about the bookings and admin side from watching my mother too, who was largely active in my father’s survival and eventual acclaim.
What inspired your transition from piano and vibraphones to drums, and how did starting professionally at 17 with your father’s ensembles influence your development as a musician?
I had short tastes of playing drums belonging to my father’s drummers but one day, when I was 13, an acquaintance of my parents, for some reason, left his kit in our house in his absence. I asked if I could play them and so I started learning drums and pretty soon I was performing on them. Joining Stan’s groups at 17 was a real roast and, ready or not, I had to pull my socks up fast to fit in with such high standard of musicianship. It wasn’t an immediate success and I often stressed to him that I shouldn’t be playing at this level but he had a lot of faith in me. I soon realised that people will only take you seriously once you’ve taken yourself seriously.
During your 35-year collaboration with your father, what were the most valuable lessons you learned about both music and the business side of jazz?
Musically, the great lesson has been to always believe in one’s self. Don’t get distracted by media hype and trends in the business. Be true to yourself and be an honest musician. And don’t expect to be financially comfortable! Stan wasn’t a businessman – he really only cared about playing and enjoying that moment. My mum soaked up all the business aspects. As I said, I learnt a lot from her, including presentation, negotiation, presence in the business, and self-respect, all things Stan was oblivious of.
In writing ‘The Godfather of British Jazz’, what aspects of your father’s legacy did you find most important to preserve for future generations.
I think Stan’s compositions and orchestrations are greatly overlooked in the business generally. More so now than even when he was alive. I became aware of just how often he’d written tunes or whole suites that were cast aside and forgotten after a few performances, whereas there are several other composers in the UK who are shown much greater respect. It has always surprised me, for example, that I have never been approached to perform an evening dedicated to him since he died in 2013.
Your journey with record labels – from founding Tentoten Records to Resteamed Records and now Stray Horn Records spans over two decades. How has your vision for jazz recording and distribution evolved?
It’s as tough as when my parents ran Steam Records. The market is so small and the distribution so limited, that it hardly seems worth the effort anymore. All three companies have a few pounds in each. Not really a business!
Having won ‘Best Drums’ six times in the British Jazz Awards and performed with numerous jazz legends, what do you consider essential elements for developing one’s unique voice in jazz?
The old adage is to listen to and absorb everything, then pare away gradually until you are left with your own voice. Easier said than done though. It’s actually the most challenging element of becoming a true jazz musician. Stan had it – originality. It’s a sound that one creates, coupled with a language that you make your own. There’s not enough space here to go into greater detail!
Your mother Jackie was a pioneer in British jazz recordings in the 1950s. How has her legacy influenced your approach to recording and producing jazz music?
I feel a duty almost to continue Stan’s legacy to an extent. The main issue that this is not thriving is the financial aspect. I have reels of Stan going back decades that will likely never see the light of day through lack of funds. With the art of actual recording and production, I spend a lot of effort on each release making sure it isn’t released until we’ve made sure we couldn’t have done much better. My mum had very little to do with that area of manufacture.
Based on your experience running Herts Jazz Club and Festival, what do you see as the most critical challenges and opportunities for UK jazz venues in the post-pandemic era?
Again, I will turn to Stan’s outlook which was that without media attention, there is no business. The more we are ignored, the less the presence. The masses are shamefully unaware after more than a century’s output in the UK of what we do or how any of it sounds. Post Covid has been another nail in the coffin: smaller audiences, fewer venues, less money. Sorry, I’m not being more positive about the UK jazz scene but take a look at my diary and bank account! The opportunities remain the same, sadly – I’m fortunate to have experienced what I did at the time.
We appreciate your honesty and see venues closing in significant numbers each month on both sides of the pond. As a visiting tutor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and creator of educational materials, how do you see jazz education evolving in the digital age?
I have been “let go” from BCU in Birmingham after 15 years, so I’m reluctant to comment. I don’t know how digitisation will help anything but I do know there’s no better alternative to live lessons in front of a tutor.
Your work spans from traditional jazz venues to creating drum-grade books for international markets. How do you balance preserving jazz traditions while embracing modern developments?
I can only do what I’m good at, by which I mean the grades books for here and China I was invited to provide are based on my style and ability. There did come a point in my development when I took on board that I was not going to be a modernist, and would therefore focus on the area I prefer performing.
So what changes do you believe are necessary in the UK’s music education system to better support emerging jazz musicians?
Where do I start? Having just lost my job in Birmingham Conservatoire, I would suggest employing working musicians with experience and opinions rather than those one could consider to be box tickers in the modern vernacular. I think it would be extremely useful to prepare students for the great battle of finding employment as musicians once they leave, rather than head straight for teaching careers, again with little or no experience. This alone is why America is light years ahead of us. The politics in this country’s educational system are stifling young players.
I hope members of the new UK administration are following us! Drawing from your experience as both a performer and educator, what are the most crucial skills young jazz musicians need to develop for success in today’s industry?
Continuing from my previous answer, young musicians don’t need a college education to make them better musicians. They need integrity and passion like so many of us from the last century possessed, without the need of being assessed and marked by part-time musicians.
Based on your earlier comments, looking at the current state of British jazz, what gives you the most hope for its future, and what areas concern you the most/
The thing that gives me my only hope is that people still want to hear live music, despite the trend. There are masses of young players emerging. They’ve got to have outlets. Media has let us down, fashionably, so until they think they’ve got another artist who can sell millions of recordings, it’ll remain in the background.
For aspiring musicians and those interested in following your work, what advice would you give, and what are the best ways to stay connected with your current projects?
Incredibly, the musicians I work with, and indeed myself, remain fresh, excited, inspired, dedicated, and in love with the music we’ve played all our lives. I think if a young musician is prepared to accept that my reality is most likely going to be their own in 30-40 years, they can concentrate on being better musicians and improve their art form. Never lose the passion, or push it to one side, as you progress. That’s what will keep you going in future when times get tough.
My gigs are all on www.clarktracey.com and it is always a delight to meet up and coming musicians at our gigs.
Clark Tracey photo by Steve Foster
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