Clark, Spencer W.

Clark, Spencer W., jazz bass saxophonist, cornetist, multi- instrumentalist; b. Baltimore, Md., March 15, 1908; d. Webster, N.C., May 27, 1998. His family moved to N.Y. in 1909. Clark played mandolin, marimba, and clarinet before doing his first gigs on C melody sax in New Rochelle, N.Y. (c. 1923). After hearing Adrian Rollini, Clark switched to bass sax and worked in a local movie-house orchestra from late 1924. He subbed for Rollini during 1925–26 and recorded with the California Ramblers at the Ramblers’ Inn. In autumn 1926 he led “Little Ramblers” (Lenny Hayton, Carl Kress, etc.) at Ramblers’ Inn. He was with various bands until sailing to Europe with George Carhart in July 1928, working with Carhart in France, and then joined Julian Fuhs in Berlin. He was with Lud Gluskin in Europe (on bass sax, trumpet, and guitar) from March 1929 until returning to the U.S. in January 1931. He was with Bert Lown in N.Y. for most of 1931, then with Fred Waring (1932). He played trumpet with Ozzie Nelson (late 1932-early 1933), sax with Irving Conn (1933–36) and with Dick Stabile (1936–38), and also worked on string bass during this period. He left full-time music, worked for a newspaper while gigging until August 1939, then entered aviation. He worked for commercial and private airlines until moving to 111. in 1954. He became purchasing Agent for City of Highland Park, and later began playing bass sax again. He worked (and recorded an LP) with Freddie Wacker’s Windy City Seven (1957), and continued to play occasional gigs in the 1960s. In 1971, he retired to N.C.

—John Chilton, Who’s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter