Artist: Clark Terry

Clark Terry was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the  flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. 

He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie  (1948–51), Duke Ellington (1951–59), Quincy Jones  (1960), and Oscar Peterson (1964–96). His career in jazz spanned more than 70 years, during which he became one of the most recorded jazz musicians, appearing on over 900 recordings.

Terry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 14, 1920. He began his professional career in the early 1940s, playing in local clubs. Blending the St. Louis tone with contemporary styles, Terry's years with Basie and Ellington (who secretly recruited Terry away from Basie) in the late 1940s and 1950s established his prominence.

During his period with Ellington, he took part in many of the composer's suites and acquired a reputation for his wide range of styles (from swing  to hard bop), technical proficiency, and good humor. Terry influenced musicians including Miles Davis and  Quincy Jones, both of whom acknowledged Terry's influence during the early stages of their careers. Terry had informally taught Davis while they were still in St Louis, and Jones during Terry's frequent visits to  Seattle with the Count Basie Sextet. 

After leaving Ellington in 1959, Clark's international recognition soared when he accepted an offer from the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) to become a staff musician. He appeared for ten years on The Tonight Show as a member of the Tonight Show Band until 1972, first led by Skitch Henderson  and later by Doc Severinsen, where his unique "mumbling" scat singing led to a hit with "Mumbles".  Terry was the first African American to become a regular in a band on a major US television network.

Terry played with musicians such as trombonist J.J. Johnson and pianist Oscar Peterson, and led a group with valve-trombonist Bob Brookmeyer that achieved some success in the early 1960s.