The music of Herbie Hancock has affected the lives of generations of jazz performers. Like many of these musicians, it was the opportunity to play with the great pianist/composer that introduced the great drummer Mike Clark to the jazz world at large. To show his appreciation, Clark presents a selection of his favorite Hancock pieces performed with a trio on his new recording, Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock.

Thrust is a jazz-funk album by Herbie Hancock, released in September 6, 1974 on Columbia Records. It served as a follow-up to Hancock's album Head Hunters (1973), and achieved similar commercial success, as the album reached as high as number 13 on the Billboard 200 listing. The lineup for Thrust is the same as on Head Hunters, except that Mike Clark replaced Harvey Mason on drums. This is Hancock's fourteenth album overall.

In 2022, Legendary Saxman Frank Catalano will be touring the USA, Europe and Asia extensively as well as releasing a collection of recordings from his many performances at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club. These recordings feature Herbie Hancock Headhunters alum Mike Clark and will be Frank’s 5th album on the Ropeadope label.

"Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue dye comes from the Indigo plant, but when something is repeatedly dyed in it, the color is deeper than the plant itself." The phrase, greater than the sum of it's parts, suggests a thing is better than you would expect from the individual parts, because the way they combine adds a different quality. This principle describes the synergy which exists between individuals working together in a cooperative effort. Collectively, they are able to achieve an outcome superior to individual efforts.

His father was a railroad man and Mike picked up a great understanding of different musical styles around the country while riding the rails. From Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters to a long list of the greats, Mike Clark shows how it’s done both on the drums and as a Jazzman. Hip, positive, and adventurous at 70, Mike met up with his longtime friend Delbert Bump and together they tracked an album of Hammond based grooves - Retro Report, bringing in young Elias Lucero to rip it up on guitar with some horn touches from Vince Denham and Rob Dixon. This is your Father’s Jazz, your Sister’s Jazz, your long lost Uncle Benny’s Jazz, and your Grandson’s Jazz. That is to say it crosses the span of time with a master’s flick of the wrist.