Acoustic, electric upright and electric five-stringed bass, bandleader, composer, publisher, clinician; b. Queens, New York City, 14 November 1954. Her grandfather is trombonist/bassist Henry "Hy" Clark Sr. Her father is Henry Clarke.
She received her Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Communications (City College Of NY) and her Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Music (Long Island University). She also studied at Jazzmobile Workshop (with Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens, Lisle Atkinson, Victor Gaskin and Buster Williams) and Barry Harris` Jazz Improvisation Workshops. She was awarded three Jazz Fellowship Study Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Clarke is a composer and educator and has toured with The National Black Theatre, Yusef Lateef, Defunkt, Joe Henderson, Bertha Hope, George Gruntz, Kit McClure, Rachel Z, Oliver Lake, Ursula Dudziak and the late Art Blakey, Teri Thornton, Robert Palmer and Lester Bowie. Kim is the co-leader of MAGNETS!, an original jazz/funk project, and leader of Inner Circle Q-tet, which features Bryan Carrott and Ronnie Burrage.
Her first tour experience was with the National Black Theatre to Guyana South America where A Soul Journey Into Truth was performed. Soon thereafter, she joined the Yusef Lateef Quartet for a two-month tour of the West Coast. She later became the house bassist for the Jazz Cultural Theater's "Art Blakey Breakfast Jam" where she was performed with a large number of jazz notables such as Philly Joe Jones, Eddie Harris, Tommy Flanagan, C Sharpe, Joe Jones Jr., Clifford Barbaro, Charlie Rouse, Walter Davis, and then up and coming artists such as Rodney Kendrick, Kuni Mikami, Craig Haynes and Vince Herring. She also was the house bassist in NYC and Brooklyn Jazz Clubs notably The Blue Note and Pumpkins.
Kim has toured extensively in the U.S. and Western Europe including recent performances in Turkey, Greece, as well as Canada, Japan and Pakistan with Joseph Bowies Defunkt /Defunkt Big Band, the Joe Henderson Quartet, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Bertha Hope Trio, James "Blood" Ulmer, Lester Bowie and Brass Fantasy, Kit McClure Big Band,Oliver Lake and Jump-Up,a six year afilliation with Teri Thornton Trio, Rachel Z Trio, Jack Mc Duff, Robert Palmer, Ursula Dudziak, the Wallace Roney and Cindy Blackman Quintet and Jazzberry Jam.
Her local performances include The Wiz on Broadway, Really Rosie, Eubie! and Guys and Dolls off broadway, Carnegie Recital Hall, the Blue Note, Birdland, many NY night clubs, and six UJC Women In Jazz Festivals. She has accompanied various artists including Art Blakey, Evelyn Blakey, Marylou Williams, Lionel Hampton, Joanne Brackeen, Kenny Barron, Walter Davis, Makanda Ken McIntyre, Jack Mac Duff, George Braith, Junior Cooke, Olu Dara, Rasheed Ali, Jimmy Heath, Clifford Jordan, Harold Ousley, Charles McGee, Louis Hayes, Gerald Hayes, Steve Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Candido, Patato, Ted Curson, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Clyde Criner, Patti Bown, Bertha Hope, Charlie Byrd Big Band, George Gee Big Band, Ray Abrahms Big Band, and the Jaki Byard Big Band.