Josh Shpak with Clark Terry
As many of you know Clark Terry passed away this weekend.
Here is a brief article about Clark Terry by David Stout at Time:
He dedicated his later years to sharing his love of music with subsequent generations:
Jazz trumpet and flugelhorn virtuoso Clark Terry, whose illustrious career spanned more than seven decades, died in the company of family, friends and students on Saturday. He was 94.
“We will miss him every minute of every day, but he will live on through the beautiful music and positivity that he gave to the world,” wrote his wife Gwen, in a message posted on Facebook. “Clark will live in our hearts forever.”
The legendary trumpeter played along some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.
Outside of performing, Clark was heralded as an influential educator. Over the years, he held numerous high school and collegiate jazz clinics, hosted summer camps for musicians and was also an adjunct professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
Last year, the St. Louis native starred in the documentary Keep On Keepin’ On, which chronicled his relationship with budding student Justin Kauflin during his final year
I happened to read on Facebook a students recollection of Clark and I just wanted to share this with everyone.
The following was posted by Josh Shpak:
“As dear as Clark Terry is to my heart, I never knew him in his best years. When I was born he was 72 years old, and in his late eighties by the time we first talked on the phone. When first he and his wife graciously welcomed Michael Miller, my brother Noah and me into their home, he was already using a walker, hard of hearing and plagued with diabetes. He would continue to be slowly dragged down by the weights of illness, eventually losing his eyesight, legs and feeling the ravages of cancer.
However, I would not believe that he could’ve been any more full of life than in the time I was lucky enough to call him my mentor. I have never in my life seen a human being whose passion for doing what they love (in this case, helping and teaching students about jazz) drives them to a tiny fraction of what Clark Terry was capable of. CT was so completely a vessel for the music that those physical impairments would be unable to stop him. I remember on a certain trip to his home with Chase Morrin, we sat – as per usual – at the foot of Clark’s bed (because he was bedridden and basically blind at this point), receiving lessons in the art of phrasing and doodle tounging, which Clark was the master of. I believe we started at 8pm, and as 1:30am rolled around, I told the guys that I was going to have to hit the hay. Chase whispered to me that he was going to keep playing and singing with Clark until the famously vital 91 year old fell asleep, as a sort of challenge. Chase did not get to bed until 5am that night, and Clark drove him hard until nodding off after over 8 hours of constant and emphatic teaching. He had the stamina of a teenager, and used to always show me how his handshake was still strong. A week before his passing, I swear he could still break my hand!
But, that was obviously never in question. To call the man sweet would be an understatement. Every time I visited, his phone would ring day and night with adoring friends and fans wanting to talk to him. These people included everyone from Quincy Jones and Bill Clinton to the postman down the street, and Clark was equaled thrilled to speak to them all. He wanted to know how your new apartment was, if your father was feeling better after his illness…. A gentleman of the highest caliber, he was loved by all.
As honored as I am to have been a part of his life in any capacity, I am so happy that his light has shined upon this world, spreading love to fans and students on every continent. He cared more about his students than any teacher I have ever known, and to be a student of his was to be family.
As Dizzy Gillespie said, Clark Terry was the greatest trumpet player on the planet. However, the most inspiring aspect about CT is the completeness with which his musical identity was wrapped in with his personality and soul. After hearing three notes that he played, not only could one tell it was Clark Terry, but they could also feel his loving personality, playfulness and his comfort in BEING one with the music. To have anywhere close to that level of connection to my music is my dream, a journey that I know will take a lifetime.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, go rent/watch “Keep On Keepin’ On”, the new documentary directed by another one of CT’s students, Al Hicks. It will show very clearly the kind of relationship we all had with him, and the care and passion with which he lived this life. May we all strive to love with the kind of opened-hearted warmness that Clark exuded. Thank you CT for all that you brought into this world. You will live on in the music of generations to come”.
Horn Driven Radio did a piece on Josh and his relationship with Clark Terry back in 2013. Please click on the following link https://www.hdrbanddirectory.com/2013/05/josh-shpaks-youtube-video-dedicated-to-clark-terry/
