As a drummer with Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, Mike Clark manufactured some of the most complexly funky rhythms of the funkiest decade ever: the 1970s. On albums such as Thrust, Man-Child, Survival of the Fittest, and Straight from the Gate, Clark proved himself a key figure in fusion while also laying down many grooves sampled by hip-hop and electronic-music producers: Go straight to Herbie’s “Actual Proof” for actual proof. In addition, Clark’s sessionography boasts dates with some of jazz’s greatest: Joe and Eddie Henderson, Chet Baker, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, and many more. Now 73, Clark has made a lot of solid records since his 1970s heyday, such as 1992’s The Funk Stops Here with Headhunters bassist Paul Jackson and 2010's Carnival of Soul. He still packs a vigorous punch behind the kit. by Dave Segal