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MUSICIAN/HCC ALUMNUS STEVE CLARKE COMES HOME TO BRIDGEPORT

By Mike Russo

BRIDGEPORT – After touring Europe and releasing his latest recording “Da Bass is Loaded”, Steve Clarke has come home to Bridgeport.

After kicking his summer performance schedule at the McLevy Green on July 28 with his own Steve Clarke Band, Clarke will appear at the Black Rock Arts Center August 13 with the band Emanon, featuring vocalist/ percussionist James Moss on August 13

Born and raised in Bridgeport, Steve Clarke studied at Housatonic Community College where he played bass for the Sonny Costanzo big band, which later became the house band at Quinnipiac College. The band featured such guest jazz dignitaries as Randy Brecker, Clark Terry, and Jimmy Heath. 

“At HCC I had my first real formal training playing music,” said Clarke, “playing in the Sonny Costanzo’s big band I learned how to read charts,” he said.

Mary Eady, HCC Project Director of Special Services who knew Clarke as a student said, “He is an exciting, respectful, creative young man.”  

Clarke’s first venture into the world of music began with accordion lessons as a young boy. Later on, through a friend he was introduced to the bass guitar and instantly fell in love with the instrument.

After years of practice, Clarke began to playing with local bands at area clubs. After answering an ad in a newspaper for a bass player, Clarke received his first big break.

Shortly thereafter he found himself picking up important experience performing with the Drifters, The Coasters, Mary Wells, Ben E. King, and Sam & Dave.

“Playing in live bands was a great experience,” said Clarke, “I really didn’t know how to read music then, I learned to play mostly by listening to my favorite R&B records.”

After receiving his associate degree in science from HCC in 1989, Clarke went on tour in Germany with Laco Deczi’s band “Celula New York” and re-toured Europe with Deczi in 1998. Currently, the group tours in the fall and the spring to sold out shows in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Austria.

In between touring and playing locally, Steve graduated from the Institute of Audio Research in New York where he studied music business and recording. Upon graduation, he formed Q –UP Studios & Music Productions  in Bridgeport, along with an independent record label Hop-N-Bop records.

Clarke has released his 5th CD in 6 years. All of his recordings, from his first release in 1999, “Kickin’ It,” to his latest, “Da Bass Is Loaded,” have been self-produced and recorded.

According to the record label’s web site, www.hopnboprecords.com , “The album as a whole is an inspired documentation of Clarke’s experimentation with form, electronics and is one that supports his exciting musical personality. He continues to expand his musical visions and ability to tell a musical story with the bass as a musical instrument.”

Despite Clarke’s busy schedule, he has found the time to perform and record with the likes of such artists as Grammy nominee Sherry Winston, The Yellow Jackets, Theresa Wright, and Tower of Power.

In addition to his duties as a professional bass player for 25 years, Clarke continues to lend his expertise as bass instructor at Fairfield Guitar Center, and was the director of the jazz band at Bridgeport’s city-based Music and Arts Center for Humanity.  

Clarke will perform at the Opium Room with the Walter Duda Band later this summer.

Mike Russo of Monroe is a journalism intern at Housatonic Community College