Eddie Clark - bio

Eddie Clark is an American bass trombonist. He is known for his classic sound, reminiscent of legendary bass trombonists Paul Faulise and George Roberts, and excellent sight-reading abilities. He specializes in the bass trombone and is also proficient in other instruments including tenor trombone, tuba and contrabass trombone.

Personal Life
Eddie lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife Lisa. He has three sons and a dog named Beau.

Early Life and Musical Journey
Born and raised in Shelbyville, Ky., Eddie studied music at the University of North Texas. He played bass trombone in UNT’s prestigious One O’Clock Lab Band. During that time, Ray Herrmann, who would become the sax player for Chicago, and Steve Wiest, trombonist extraordinaire who had performed on the road with Maynard Ferguson, gave Eddie the “face name” of Fridge because of his imposing 6’4” stature.

He studied with Lewis Van Haney, Ray Conklin and Paul Faulise.

Career
Eddie’s professional career spans performances with a long list of artists, Broadway shows and more than 500 recording sessions, including records/CD’s, jingles, drop-ins, bumpers, and radio and TV ID’s. He was a highly sought-after bass trombonist in New York City for many years and was similarly in demand while living in Atlanta and Memphis, and now in St. Louis where he has performed with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Most recently, he played bass trombone on a documentary about composer Sammy Nestico titled Never Let Anyone Steal Your Dreams, due to be distributed in 2024 when Nestico would have been 100 years old. Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra.

Eddie taught for three years at the Memphis Jazz Workshop in Memphis, TN.

PERFORMANCES

Video/TV Specials
Pearl and Friends at Center Stage with Pearl Bailey
Sarah Vaughn
Tony Bennett
Louie Bellson and His Big Band (PBS)
Kenny Rogers in Concert: A Holiday Special for Public Television

Notable Recording Sessions
Matchbox Twenty’s multi platinum album Mad Season including the hit If You’re Gone
Netflix Film, Dolemite Is My Name (Starring Eddie Murphy) - Soundtrack

Broadway Shows
A Chorus Line
Annie
The King and I
Hello Dolly
42nd Street
Evita
Wicked
Anything Goes
Mean Girls
The Lion King
Jekyll and Hyde
Showboat
Too Hot to Handel
The Color Purple
Gypsy
Busker Alley
My Fair Lady
Beauty and the Beast
Camelot
Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music
Fiddler on The Roof
Oklahoma
Annie Get Your Gun
The Music Man
Victor/Victoria
Damn Yankees
White Christmas

Big Bands
The One O'Clock Lab Band at University of North Texas
Gil Evans Orchestra
Louie Bellson Big Band
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
Woody Herman
Guy Lombardo
Nelson Riddle

Classical Ensembles and Orchestras
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Louisville Orchestra
The New York Chamber Virtuosi
South Carolina Philharmonic
Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Columbus, Georgia)

Performing Artists
David Sanborn
Dr. John
Liza Minnelli
The Moody Blues
Yo Yo Ma
Whitney Houston
Aretha Franklin
Carly Simon
Ray Brown
Tom Scott
Al Hirt
Rich Little
Della Reese
Mitzi Gaynor
Teddy Pendergrass
Kathie Lee and Regis
Tommy Tune
Rita Moreno
Kenny Rogers
Travis Tritt
Trisha Yearwood
Tony Bennett
Sarah Vaughn
Carol Channing
Rosemary Clooney
Lionel Hampton
Lee Greenwood
Ray Stevens
Slide Hampton
Bobby Rydell
Johnny Rivers
Tom Jones
Lena Horne
The Spinners
4 Tops
Temptations
Shirley Jones
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Patti Page
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Joan Rivers
Red Skelton
Liberace
Johnny Mathis
Engelbert Humperdinck
Jerry Vale
Tommy Newsom
Tom Harrell
Pearl Bailey
Ann-Margret
Dick Van Dyke
John Davidson
Suzanne Somers
Quincy Jones
Patti Austin
James Ingram
Joel Grey
Nancy Wilson
Toni Tennille
Tommy Tune
Mikhail Baryshnikov
David Brenner
Natalie Cole
Jerry Lewis
Frank Sinatra
Henry Mancini