Clark Sommers | Bass
Grammy Award-winning Bassist, Composer and Educator Clark Sommers has toured and performed extensively throughout the world. He has performed with Kurt Elling, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Branford Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Darrell Grant, Brian Blade, Ernie Watts, Bennie Maupin, Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Frank Wess, Charles McPherson, Peter Bernstein, Lin Haliday, Dana Hall, Jodie Christian, Bobby Broom, Jeff Parker, Ron Perrillo, Geof Bradfield, Michael Weiss, George Fludas, Kevin Mahogany, Eden Atwood, Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, the Mighty Blue Kings and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, among others.
Sommers completed his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies and World Music at California Institute of the Arts, where he studied with bass masters Charlie Haden and Darek Oles. While living in Los Angeles, he performed with Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, the Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra, Joe La Barbara and Larry Koonse. He continues to seek expansion of his craft by pursuing his musical studies with masters such as David Grossman of the New York Philharmonic, Mike Longo and Stefon Harris. He recently completed two residencies at the Brubeck Institute in Stockton, California.
Sommers is currently in the bass chair with vocalist Kurt Elling, with whom he tours internationally and has performed on two Grammy-nominated recordings, one of which won the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2009. When not on the road with Elling, Sommers enjoys leading his own group, Ba(SH), which includes long-time friends, drummer Dana Hall and saxophonist Geof Bradfield. The group’s first CD was released in August 2013 and has received critical acclaim. Sommers can also be heard performing with Portland’s pianist Darrell Grant in his “Territory” ensemble, which includes Brian Blade, Joe Locke and Steve Wilson. Other groups that Sommers performs with regularly include Dana Hall’s Spring and Black Fire, Geof Bradfield’s African Flowers Ensemble and Melba, Chicago Yestet, Dan Cray Trio, Typical Sisters, and his own, “Lens” Project of which he released “By a Thread” in 2017.
Clark Sommers released his chord-less trio, Ba(SH)’s latest release, Peninsula, March 6th, 2020, featuring saxophonist Geof Bradfield and drummer Dana Hall.
Listen to Clark Sommer’s Ba(SH)’s newest album, Peninsula, below:
