Kevin Clark

Pianist, trumpet player, composer and educator Kevin Clark has been leading various groups in Wellington for over fifty years and has covered a lot of ground in that time. Although his primary interest is in improvisation and jazz, he plays in several styles and genres, with a strong interest in ethnomusicology.

Between 1968 and 1997, when the NZBC studios were demolished, he recorded some thirty radio programmes of ‘light’ music, original jazz, and ‘art’ music with his experimental indo-jazz group ‘The 40 Watt Banana’ for the Concert Program. Previously unreleased tapes were bought by a Spanish Record company that released an album internationally, titled ‘Peeled’.

He has over 100 original compositions registered with APRA. All have been recorded, released commercially or broadcast on radio. ‘Nirvana’, a single released in 1972 became a cult hit and is now a sought-after collectors’ item.

In 1971 Kevin met up with vocalist Fran Barton at a Wellington night spot and this musical partnership has continued to the present day.

More radio programs followed together with 35 appearances as the entertainment slot on the weekly live-to-air TV show ‘On Saturday’ with Brian Edwards. They made their debut album in 1974, of music from the show. More TV appearances followed on ‘Just Jazz’ with Bobby Shew, ‘Jazz Seen’ and ‘Good Morning’

Kevin and his group have appeared at most of the major jazz festivals in New Zealand.

With the demise of the NZBC studios, Kevin felt the urge to record again and in 2003 his album of original world-flavoured jazz was awarded the NZ Music Award TUI for Best Jazz Album. His next jazz album, The Sandbar Sessions Live, won the TUI in 2005, followed by Flamenco and Latin flavoured originals on ‘Zahara’, a finalist in 2007. In 2012 he won an award from the Wellington Theatre Federation for the Best Original Score that he wrote for a stage play.

In 2010 a compilation featuring Fran Barton was released—'Don’t You Feel My Leg’

In 2012 Fran, Kevin and the group recorded ‘The Gentleman is a Dope’—a CD of quirky entertaining songs in a jazz setting—to celebrate forty years of music together. They regularly perform at jazz festivals, jazz venues, corporate and private events and are preparing another album of original songs.

He has an Honours degree in music, has taught at university and is at present teaching at a local High School.