Clifford Jarvis

American drummer

Clifford Osbourne Jarvis^[1] (August 26, 1941 – November 26, 1999)^[2] was an American hard bop and free jazz drummer, who in the 1980s moved to London, England, where he spent the remainder of his career.

Biography

Clifford Jarvis, the son of Malcom “Shorty” Jarvis was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States,^[3] where he studied at Berklee College of Music in the 1950s.^[2]

Moving to New York City, he established himself in jazz between 1959 and 1966, by recording with bebop and hard-bop musicians including Randy Weston, Yusef Lateef,^[1] Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris,^[1] Jackie McLean, John Patton, Chet Baker, Kenny Drew, Walter Davis, and Elmo Hope, and playing with Grant Green^[1] and Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

He worked and recorded with musicians associated with free jazz, including Sun Ra (from 1962 to 1976),^[1] Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Simmons, Alice Coltrane, and Archie Shepp.

During the 1980s, Jarvis moved to England,^[1] where he played with younger musicians including Courtney Pine. He also worked as a music educator at Chats Palace Arts Centre in London and Pyramid Arts Development in Dalston. Jarvis continued teaching until his death in 1999.^[4]

Discography

As leader

1986: Little Red Moon (Soul Note)^[3]

As sideman

With Chet Baker

Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe (Riverside, 1959)

With Alice Coltrane

Carnegie Hall '71 (Hi Hat, 2018)

With Kenny Drew

Ruby, My Dear (SteepleChase, 1977)

With Curtis Fuller

Images of Curtis Fuller (Savoy, 1960)

With Barry Harris

Newer Than New (Riverside, 1961)
Chasin' the Bird (Riverside, 1962)

With Elmo Hope

The Final Sessions (Evidence, 1966 [1996])

With Freddie Hubbard

Open Sesame (Blue Note, 1960)
Hub-Tones (Blue Note, 1962)
Blue Spirits (Blue Note, 1966)

With Jackie McLean

Right Now! (Blue Note, 1965)

With Archie Shepp

Little Red Moon (Soul Note, 1985)
Splashes (L+R, 1987)

With Sonny Simmons

Burning Spirits (Contemporary, 1971)

With Jukka Syrenius Band

Memories of tomorrow"( Finland, TCH-LP1, 1983)

With Sun Ra

When Sun Comes Out (Saturn, 1963)
Nothing Is… (ESP, 1966)

With John Patton

That Certain Feeling (Blue Note, 1968)

With Randy Weston

Live at the Five Spot (United Artists, 1959)

With Harry Beckett

Les Jardins Du Casino (ITM, 1993)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 226. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
^ ^a ^b John Fordham (jazz critic), "Clifford Jarvis" (obituary) The Guardian, December 1, 1999.
^ ^a ^b Ron Wynn, "Clifford Jarvis", AllMusic
^ "Incendiary drummer and great teacher", The Scotsman, 1999.