Good morning. It is 4:00am and I am watching on NYC Life. Clark Terry is giving a master class to some students. Terrific! Now they are playing, “Now Is The Time.” He is giving them pointers on emphasis and other playing techniques. These students are fortunate to be sitting at the feet of this master. Clark is swinging. Love you.
Hello Clark,
I am sorry to read of your recent health problems. I first became aware of your fantastic playing through your excellent section work and many featured solos with the Duke. Ever since then you have been my favourite all round trumpeter. Your technique and tone make you one of the very few immediately recognisable musicicians on your chosen instrument. I particularly love the ringing tone that you achieve on the flugelhorn. You always appear such a joyful person in concert and achieve such a beautiful tone. As the Duke said ‘a man’s sound is his total personality’.
Best wishes
Mark.
Hello Clark.
My dad played with you in 1974 at the Melbourne jazz festival. He had always said it was the best moment of his musical career. When your biography becomes available in Australia I will be buying a copy for my dad to read.
I remember the night you played in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,showing off your new Elwood Flynn suit and playing great. It is a night I will never forget.
I’m sorry to hear about your health – it’s those ‘Golden Years’ as you mentioned on stage in NYC during an IAJE convention, that just suck! You brought the house down w/that one.
I can’t begin to tell you how much it meant to me when I was a young trumpet player in Syracuse, NY to be able to talk w/such a great artist and get the chance to drive you back to the airport one very snowing evening. We stopped at a convenience store to buy gas and clear the windshield. You went in and bought us all some beer and snacks plus paid for the gas. We heard stories about your dog and jazz greats during the trip. It must have been 4am by the time we got to your hotel. Before I left you said, “man, play all of those places you can’t afford to go and you’ll do fine.” That’s been the best lesson I’ve every had. Thanks, Clark.
Clark,
I just wanted to thank you one more time for all of your encouragement during the formative years of my playing.
You are truly a national treasure and a very special human being.
I hope that you are not in too much pain man and I’m sorry that a man who has given so much of himself to the Jazz world and, for that matter, the world in general has had to suffer to such a great extent. I am still working to get over a debilitating illness myself and I truly understand the challenges that it presents.
Your examples of courage and positiveness are truly inspirational to me as I too attempt to recover from my challenges.
I wish you all the best and pray to God daily for your recovery and relief from the pain and suffering you are now being such a shining example to us all of how to handle in a brave and positive manner.
I Love You Man and I am so grateful to have had someone like you to influence and encourage me in my younger days as a player.
All the best and Godspeed your recovery.
Big Jim Henry
Thank you so much for your contributions to music and dedicating your life to music and most importantly to loving and serving others. May God bless you abundantly. You are an inspiration!
You have been on of my heros all my life. Musicians like you made me want to be a musician from the age of 8. I have had a good run and thoughout it all I kept you and other heros like Duke and Count on the top of my list as the greatest. Get well.
Dear Mr. Clark. I was introduced to your music not too long ago by a tv-show our national broadcasting company YLE presented: It was you with Oscar Peterson Trio in Helsinki 1965. I was mesmerized immediately. I am sorry to hear about your health problems. It’s good to know you are feeling better now. Anyhow you seem like the kind of person who doesn’t give up, or let set-backs let you down.
I am 28 years old, and last fall I started to take trumpet lessons. I have now played little over six months, and I can reach double G. I know there is still a long way to go, but I absolutely love playing the horn. I refuse to think that I am too old to learn, so I practise every day. Right now I am learning “Summertime”. Oh and did I mention my teacher – an amazing player – is a beautiful girl around my age?
Well Mr. Clark, I want to thank you for sharing us your beautiful music, and I will definitely check your biography in the near future. I wish you all the best from Finland.
Just heard from our friend Wilmer Wise that you just had some major surgery.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and friends.
Your friends here in the NW wish you all the very best!
Thanks for sharing so many years of your beautiful music.
Shultzie
Gig Harbor wa.
Never before have I experienced more love in one place than I did being at the amazing celebratory benefit held for you this past Monday in New York! From the more than 50 jazz greats who performed and the mob of people who came to cheer them – and you – on, Manhattan was absolutely abuzz! In fact, on Monday, April 23rd, New York “City” was actually New York “CT”….as it should be!
Only Clark Terry could inspire so many jazz greats to come from far and wide and play together under one roof! And, what a night it was!
Here’s wishing you much happy honking ahead, Clark…forever and ever!!!
Sending you much love and all the blest from way out west…
Clark and Gwen. It was a beautiful and heartfelt tribute last night at St. Peter’s Church. The mood was upbeat and the music never stopped. Not only were the musicians out in numbers but your jazz fans packed the place. What a joy! It was really great to see all my friends gathered for a glorious evening of music in homage for one of our legends and friend. Thanx for the live video. We were happy to see that you are doing well and in good spirits. It is a source of comfort.
Afterwards I met and talked with your student and Thelonious Monk honoree. He had some good, “chops.”
We are with you both every step of the way.
Love you very much,
Your favorite figure skater
Paula
Hello Clark, I just wanted to send you my love ,prayers, & gratitude . You are an inspiration and hero to me & to thousands and thousands of people all over the world. We love you Clark. Greggles
How wonderful to know that you’re tooting again (from your trumpet, I mean!) The world is, by far, a better place when you have a horn in your hands. Keep your magnificent music comin’,and know that there are millions – actually, bazillions – cheering you on!!
Josh is so excited to be playing for you in New York on Monday!
Lots of love, as always, to you and Gwen from “The California Trio”…
Dear Clark, May I thank you for a long, wonderful career, full of quality, humour, inspiration, masterly music and love. I’m enjoying some music of yours again; there is so much, so varied, never dull, a fine example as well as being so educational. From down under, all the very best of health and happiness. Phil Pryor
Dear Clark,
Continued warm get well wishes from your friends at the National Endowment for the Arts. This is Katja speaking and I am following your news blog posts regularly. Thank you for all the updates. We are rooting for you all the way!
Katja
Hi Clark,
I just want you to know how much I’m thinking about you and pulling for your recovery. You’ve always been the embodiment of effortless elegant swinging perfection to me (and thousands of others over the last 70 years) and being with you in the studio for the Tyrell sessions has been a highlight in my life. Best to you too, Gwen, and may happiness prevail despite the pain and difficulties you’re both facing.
Much love,
Bob Mann
This is just a little note to tell you how much you mean to me. Your music always has the power to cheer me up and brighten my day. That’s a powerful thing because you’ve made such a positive impact on the world and not many people are blessed with the ability to bring joy and happiness to people all around the world that they’ve never met.
Your albums with Bob Brookmeyer are some of my absolute favorite music, and your albums with Oscar Peterson swing harder than anything else I’ve ever heard.
Thank you for bringing joy to my life and this world.
Paula Morris
05/17/2012 @ 3:22 am
Good morning. It is 4:00am and I am watching on NYC Life. Clark Terry is giving a master class to some students. Terrific! Now they are playing, “Now Is The Time.” He is giving them pointers on emphasis and other playing techniques. These students are fortunate to be sitting at the feet of this master. Clark is swinging. Love you.
Mark Dougall
05/16/2012 @ 2:20 pm
Hello Clark,
I am sorry to read of your recent health problems. I first became aware of your fantastic playing through your excellent section work and many featured solos with the Duke. Ever since then you have been my favourite all round trumpeter. Your technique and tone make you one of the very few immediately recognisable musicicians on your chosen instrument. I particularly love the ringing tone that you achieve on the flugelhorn. You always appear such a joyful person in concert and achieve such a beautiful tone. As the Duke said ‘a man’s sound is his total personality’.
Best wishes
Mark.
Rachel Orchard
05/14/2012 @ 11:13 pm
Hello Clark.
My dad played with you in 1974 at the Melbourne jazz festival. He had always said it was the best moment of his musical career. When your biography becomes available in Australia I will be buying a copy for my dad to read.
Alan Scharf
05/14/2012 @ 6:10 pm
Hello Clark
I remember the night you played in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,showing off your new Elwood Flynn suit and playing great. It is a night I will never forget.
Thank you
–Alan
Mark Ellis
05/13/2012 @ 2:37 pm
Hey, Clark
I’m sorry to hear about your health – it’s those ‘Golden Years’ as you mentioned on stage in NYC during an IAJE convention, that just suck! You brought the house down w/that one.
I can’t begin to tell you how much it meant to me when I was a young trumpet player in Syracuse, NY to be able to talk w/such a great artist and get the chance to drive you back to the airport one very snowing evening. We stopped at a convenience store to buy gas and clear the windshield. You went in and bought us all some beer and snacks plus paid for the gas. We heard stories about your dog and jazz greats during the trip. It must have been 4am by the time we got to your hotel. Before I left you said, “man, play all of those places you can’t afford to go and you’ll do fine.” That’s been the best lesson I’ve every had. Thanks, Clark.
Your friend,
Mark Ellis
Big Jim Henry
05/10/2012 @ 11:57 am
Clark,
I just wanted to thank you one more time for all of your encouragement during the formative years of my playing.
You are truly a national treasure and a very special human being.
I hope that you are not in too much pain man and I’m sorry that a man who has given so much of himself to the Jazz world and, for that matter, the world in general has had to suffer to such a great extent. I am still working to get over a debilitating illness myself and I truly understand the challenges that it presents.
Your examples of courage and positiveness are truly inspirational to me as I too attempt to recover from my challenges.
I wish you all the best and pray to God daily for your recovery and relief from the pain and suffering you are now being such a shining example to us all of how to handle in a brave and positive manner.
I Love You Man and I am so grateful to have had someone like you to influence and encourage me in my younger days as a player.
All the best and Godspeed your recovery.
Big Jim Henry
Jonathan Han
05/9/2012 @ 10:18 pm
Mr. Terry,
Thank you so much for your contributions to music and dedicating your life to music and most importantly to loving and serving others. May God bless you abundantly. You are an inspiration!
Gabe Villani
05/8/2012 @ 8:00 am
Clark,
You have been on of my heros all my life. Musicians like you made me want to be a musician from the age of 8. I have had a good run and thoughout it all I kept you and other heros like Duke and Count on the top of my list as the greatest. Get well.
Gabe
Stuart Balcomb
05/7/2012 @ 6:26 pm
Mr. Terry,
I’ve been a lifelong fan of your music. Thank you for your amazing gift to music. Be well.
Timo
04/30/2012 @ 11:38 am
Dear Mr. Clark. I was introduced to your music not too long ago by a tv-show our national broadcasting company YLE presented: It was you with Oscar Peterson Trio in Helsinki 1965. I was mesmerized immediately. I am sorry to hear about your health problems. It’s good to know you are feeling better now. Anyhow you seem like the kind of person who doesn’t give up, or let set-backs let you down.
I am 28 years old, and last fall I started to take trumpet lessons. I have now played little over six months, and I can reach double G. I know there is still a long way to go, but I absolutely love playing the horn. I refuse to think that I am too old to learn, so I practise every day. Right now I am learning “Summertime”. Oh and did I mention my teacher – an amazing player – is a beautiful girl around my age?
Well Mr. Clark, I want to thank you for sharing us your beautiful music, and I will definitely check your biography in the near future. I wish you all the best from Finland.
Don Shultz
04/27/2012 @ 11:05 am
Just heard from our friend Wilmer Wise that you just had some major surgery.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and friends.
Your friends here in the NW wish you all the very best!
Thanks for sharing so many years of your beautiful music.
Shultzie
Gig Harbor wa.
Michael Miller
04/26/2012 @ 7:38 am
Dear Clark,
Never before have I experienced more love in one place than I did being at the amazing celebratory benefit held for you this past Monday in New York! From the more than 50 jazz greats who performed and the mob of people who came to cheer them – and you – on, Manhattan was absolutely abuzz! In fact, on Monday, April 23rd, New York “City” was actually New York “CT”….as it should be!
Only Clark Terry could inspire so many jazz greats to come from far and wide and play together under one roof! And, what a night it was!
Here’s wishing you much happy honking ahead, Clark…forever and ever!!!
Sending you much love and all the blest from way out west…
Michael
Paula Morris
04/24/2012 @ 11:44 am
Clark and Gwen. It was a beautiful and heartfelt tribute last night at St. Peter’s Church. The mood was upbeat and the music never stopped. Not only were the musicians out in numbers but your jazz fans packed the place. What a joy! It was really great to see all my friends gathered for a glorious evening of music in homage for one of our legends and friend. Thanx for the live video. We were happy to see that you are doing well and in good spirits. It is a source of comfort.
Afterwards I met and talked with your student and Thelonious Monk honoree. He had some good, “chops.”
We are with you both every step of the way.
Love you very much,
Your favorite figure skater
Paula
Greg Gisbert
04/24/2012 @ 2:28 am
Hello Clark, I just wanted to send you my love ,prayers, & gratitude . You are an inspiration and hero to me & to thousands and thousands of people all over the world. We love you Clark. Greggles
Michael "Migueligans" Miller
04/20/2012 @ 9:24 am
Dear Clark,
How wonderful to know that you’re tooting again (from your trumpet, I mean!) The world is, by far, a better place when you have a horn in your hands. Keep your magnificent music comin’,and know that there are millions – actually, bazillions – cheering you on!!
Josh is so excited to be playing for you in New York on Monday!
Lots of love, as always, to you and Gwen from “The California Trio”…
Michael, Josh & Noah
Phil Pryor
04/20/2012 @ 7:37 am
Dear Clark, May I thank you for a long, wonderful career, full of quality, humour, inspiration, masterly music and love. I’m enjoying some music of yours again; there is so much, so varied, never dull, a fine example as well as being so educational. From down under, all the very best of health and happiness. Phil Pryor
Katja von Schuttenbach
04/19/2012 @ 2:59 pm
Dear Clark,
Continued warm get well wishes from your friends at the National Endowment for the Arts. This is Katja speaking and I am following your news blog posts regularly. Thank you for all the updates. We are rooting for you all the way!
Katja
Bob Mann
04/18/2012 @ 6:32 am
Hi Clark,
I just want you to know how much I’m thinking about you and pulling for your recovery. You’ve always been the embodiment of effortless elegant swinging perfection to me (and thousands of others over the last 70 years) and being with you in the studio for the Tyrell sessions has been a highlight in my life. Best to you too, Gwen, and may happiness prevail despite the pain and difficulties you’re both facing.
Much love,
Bob Mann
June Jacobs
04/18/2012 @ 1:11 am
Keeping you in my prayers as always. You and your music are so inspiring.
Love you much.
Sean
04/17/2012 @ 8:28 pm
Greetings from Down Under (Australia) Mr. Terry.
This is just a little note to tell you how much you mean to me. Your music always has the power to cheer me up and brighten my day. That’s a powerful thing because you’ve made such a positive impact on the world and not many people are blessed with the ability to bring joy and happiness to people all around the world that they’ve never met.
Your albums with Bob Brookmeyer are some of my absolute favorite music, and your albums with Oscar Peterson swing harder than anything else I’ve ever heard.
Thank you for bringing joy to my life and this world.
Love
Sean from Australia.