Clark Terry

Clark Terry
Terry at the 1981 Monterey Jazz Festival
Background information
Born	(1920-12-14)December 14, 1920 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	February 21, 2015(2015-02-21) (aged 94) Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, swing, bebop, hard bop
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
Years active	1940s–2015
Labels	Prestige, Pablo, Candid, Mainstream, Impulse!
Associated acts	Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Bob Brookmeyer, Clifford Brown, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones, Yusef Lateef, Charles Mingus, Blue Mitchell, Oliver Nelson, Oscar Peterson, Lalo Schifrin, Billy Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, Terri Lyne Carrington
Website	clarkterry.com
Notable instruments
Music sample
"Blues for Smedley" from the 1964 album Oscar Peterson Trio + One

Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, composer, educator, and NEA Jazz Masters inductee.

He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51),Duke Ellington (1951–59),Quincy Jones (1960), and Oscar Peterson (1964-96). He was also with The Tonight Show Band from 1962 to 1972. Terry's career in jazz spanned more than 70 years, during which he became one of the most recorded jazz musicians ever, appearing on over 900 recordings. Terry also mentored many musicians including Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Dianne Reeves, and Terri Lyne Carrington among thousands of others.

Terry was born to Clark Virgil Terry Sr. and Mary Terry in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 14, 1920. He attended Vashon High School and began his professional career in the early 1940s, playing in local clubs. He served as a bandsman in the United States Navy during World War II. His first instrument was valve trombone.

Blending the St. Louis tone with contemporary styles, Terry's years with Basie and Ellington in the late 1940s and 1950s established his prominence. During his period with Ellington, he took part in many of the composer's suites and acquired a reputation for his wide range of styles (from swing to hard bop), technical proficiency, and good humor. Terry influenced musicians including Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, both of whom acknowledged Terry's influence during the early stages of their careers. Terry had informally taught Davis while they were still in St Louis, and Jones during Terry's frequent visits to Seattle with the Count Basie Sextet.