Gary Clark Jr. (Photo credit: Jørund F. Pedersen via Wikimedia Commons)
Austin’s very own Gary Clark Jr. has accomplished a tremendous amount in 2013, and it seems that he already has a full year ahead of him come January. In November, he performed on DirecTV program ‘s Guitar Center Sessions and he will be joining Kings of Leon on tour in early 2014.
Given their stylistic similarities, it makes sense that Clark would tour with Kings of Leon. However, Clark is hardly confined to any one style. Clark’s music synthesizes elements of multiple genres. He has a unique talent for mixing blues with hip-hop and vintage hard rock. His varying style is unique, interesting, and also demonstrates how the blues set the stage for virtually every other style of popular music.
Clark has played with musicians across a wide spectrum of style, but below is a look at a few of the most notable Gary Clark Jr. collaborations to date.
Nas
Nas and Gary Clark Jr. were recruited by ESPN to collaborate on tracks to be played during the network’s coverage of the NFL Draft in 2012. The two worked on combining fragments of their previous songs. The final mixes incorporated elements of two Nas songs,“The Don” and “Train,” and one Clark song, “Bright Lights.”
Both Nas and Clark had worked for ESPN previously. Nas contributed a voice-over narration for a documentary about injured athletes in Liberia, and Clark’s music had been used for other ESPN programs. However, this was the first collaboration between the two artists. Clark said in an interview that he has “mad respect for Nas,” and also stated that he really enjoyed working on the project.
Alicia Keys
Even before Clark performed on the track “Fire We Make” on the Alicia Keys album Girl on Fire, the pair previously joined forces for a charity concert for the NYC-based Keep A Child Alive foundation. There, Keys brought Clark on board for a duet of the Beatles’ classic, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
Shortly thereafter, Keys had Clark record with her in the studio. Clark would later say that Keys allowed him to play what he wanted, and went as far as to say it was the “best experience” he had ever had in the recording studio.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton (Photo credit: Majvdl via Wikimedia Commons)
Clapton, who has praised Clark very highly, had Clark play at his 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. At the festival, Clark accompanied legendary blues guitarists like Steve Winwood and B.B. King. He also played with Clapton himself. Clapton was so impressed that he wrote a letter to Clark, thanking him for the reminder of why he loved the blues.
Clapton has also said that he believes Gary Clark Jr. is the future of the blues, and told Rolling Stone magazine that no contemporary artist since Prince has impressed him so much.
Rolling Stones
The Stones have invited Clark to play with them on several occasions. Just last summer, Clark took to the stage with the Stones at TD Garden in Boston to perform a cover of Don Nix’s song “Going Down.” Clark even got to join the band for a rendition of the song “Bitch” (off of the Stone’s classic album Sticky Fingers) at London’s Hyde Park earlier this year. Incidentally, that was the Stone’s first performance at that venue in over 40 years. Clark also played with them at a special concert in the White House, and was praised by President Obama himself.
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones (Photo credit: Carl Lender via Wikimedia Commons)
Booker T. Jones is a true living legend and has released numerous hits such as “Green Onions” with his band Booker T. and the MG’s. The iconic blues piano man had Clark play guitar on his “Austin City Blues” record entitled Sound the Alarm.
Booker T. told Rolling Stone that he really clicked with Clark and believes it’s because Clark had been educated by the Austin blues greats on Congress Ave. Booker said that he and Clark were both “blues aficionados.”
Not only has Gary Clark Jr. established himself as major influence in the contemporary music scene at a young age, but he’s also managed to defy rigid categorization. He has freely (and eclectically) borrowed from a wide range of influences.
The fact that he has worked with so many other artists across a spectrum of styles is a testament to what makes him great: he doesn’t unnecessarily impose limits on his own creativity. Clark also reflects something about his native Austin, Texas. It is a culturally vibrant hub, conducive to collaborations that meld styles,cultures, and even generations.
Brandon Engel is a Chicago-based blogger with directstartv.com who writes primarily about art, culture, and current events. His favorite records include “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis and “Master of Reality” by Black Sabbath.
Cover photo via Flickr CC, courtesy of Tony Proudfoot.
