Drummer Mike Clark Plans Russia Tour to Promote Cultural Diplomacy

Jazz legend Mike Clark has confirmed plans for a tour of Russia next month, to promote cultural diplomacy and to introduce audiences in Moscow, Siberia, St. Petersburg and elsewhere to his acclaimed Owl Studios release, ‘Carnival of Soul'.

Clark's Russia tour, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, will consist of the Mike Clark Organ Trio featuring Rob Dixon on tenor saxophone and Jerry Z on organ.

Oct 1 - Sochi
Oct 2- Novorossiysk
Oct 3 - Krasnodar
Oct 5 - Spaso House
Oct 6-13 (Jazz Province Festival)
Oct 14 - The Moscow House of Music
Oct 16 - Khantymansiysk
Oct 17 - Surgut
Oct 19- Tumen
Oct 22- Novosibirsk
Oct 24- St Petersburg

Clark has been on a roll in recent months, with rave reviews describing his Owl Studios CD as "one of the best jazz albums to be released this year." The album jumped to #8 on a recent JazzWeek chart, and upcoming coverage includes print editions of Jazziz, JazzTimes, DownBeat, All About Jazz NY and more. See some recent placements, including ALLMUSIC and ModernDrummer, below.

Owl Studios is an award-winning, independent record label, with an artist roster that includes a Grammy-nominated artist, two Independent Music Award winners, an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship recipient, and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Performer Award recipient. In the short time since its inception, Owl Studios has become a well-respected, artist-friendly record label in the genres of Jazz, R&B, Neo Soul, Jazz Fusion and Jam Band. Learn more about Owl Studios, here: http://www.owlstudios.com/

Prior to his trip abroad, Clark will take part in the Owl Studios All Star Band at the 2010 Indy Jazz Fest (Sept 13-18) along with fellow label mates Rob Dixon, Frank Glover, Derrick Gardner, Pharez Whitted, Steve Allee and more. Upon his return from Russia, Clark will present an All-Star line-up of his own at New York's Iridium Jazz Club, from October 28th through October 31st. The killer band for ‘Mike Clark's Indigo Blue' in NYC will be: Mike Clark (drums,) Christian McBride (bass,) Nicholas Payton (trumpet,) Donald Harrison (alto sax,) Rob Dixon (tenor sax) and Antonio Farao (a dynamic pianist from Italy who has been dubbed ‘the Italian Herbie Hancock').

More about Mike Clark:
Mike Clark gained worldwide recognition as one of America's foremost jazz and funk drummers while playing with Herbie Hancock's group in the early 1970's. Mike became known as a major innovator through his incisive playing on Hancock's ‘Thrust' album, which garnered him an international cult following. Mike has performed with jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Woody Shaw, Larry Coryell, Jack Wilkins, Wallace Roney, Geri Allen, Billy Childs, James Genus, Bob Hurst, Chris Potter, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Dave Liebman, Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown Jr., Bill Doggett, Mose Allison, Maxine Brown, Gil Evans and his orchestra, and did a stint with Brand X, the acclaimed British fusion band, founded by Phil Collins. He has performed throughout the world at all of the major jazz venues and festivals.