Christopher Wyatt Clarke
I was born on November 1, 1969 in Richmond, Virginia, and into a family of old time and country musicians. My grandfather, J.P. Clarke, was ragtime piano player, as well as an old time fiddle, guitar and mandolin player. I never met him, but my father tells me he hears his mandolin playing in me. My brother and cousin are both guitar pickers in Virginia. As a kid, I was exposed early on to old time fiddle and bluegrass music at family reunions and pickin’ parties. I began writing and playing the guitar almost 20 years ago after seeing Bob Dylan perform with the Grateful Dead in 1986 – this experience changed my life forever and served as the compass for much of my musical exploration for the next few years.
Chris Clarke playing Elzic's (or Elziks?) Farewell on a 1998 Doug Woodley oval hole mandolin, tuned in GDGD tuning. Learned this one from Skip Gorman's Mandolin in the Cow Camp recording - go buy it...it's damn good.
Photo Credits: Dennis Anderson, Steve Covault, Jake Eddy, Bernie Simons, and Kelly Cummings.
During college in Elkins, West Virginia, I was exposed to the traditional music masters who took up residence at the Augusta Heritage Center – fiddlers like Ernie Carpenter, Melvin Wine, Tracy Schwarz and the country blues of John Cephas and Phil Wiggins. During these years, I heard the old time music that I grew up with in eastern Virginia. I studied finger-style blues guitar and developed an ear for writing melodies while living in Elkins. I also somehow managed to complete an undergraduate degree in biology and environmental science.
Back in Virginia during the early 1990s, I lived in a turn-of-the-century log cabin on the edge of the Blue Ridge Parkway and met Jeff Bibb (the founder of Webb Straps). It was through Jeff that got my first Flatiron mandolin, met a few of my heroes (Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas) and began my "woodshedding†period. During the mid 1990’s, I also finished a master’s degree in biology and worked as a freshwater fisheries ecologist, before moving to California.
After moving to California, I started a house concert series with my wife, Tiffany. We had a good run at it for several years and have recently embarked on a remodel of the house. The concert series is no more, but we sure had fun.In 2004, I formed the Second Hand String Band and began performing regularly at festivals and venues across Southern California. In 2005, the Monroe Avenue String Band was born with Sarah Voytek on fiddle and Darren Weiss on guitar/mandolin.
Plow
myspace.com/wereplowMy latest project is with David Bandrowski (banjos) and John Mailander (fiddle and mandolin). We are in the studio now. Stay tuned.
I play a 1947 Gibson LG-2 guitar, 2005 Old Wave F4 mandolin, a 1998 Woodley oval hole A mandolin, a 2000 Breedlove OF, a 2005 Santa Cruz D/PW BZ guitar, a Deering banjo and a 1970 Hofner upright bass. I use D’Addario strings and smoke Drum tobacco (when my wife ain’t lookin).
Recent Appearances:Adams Avenue Street Fair, San Diego, CA - 2006, 2007, 2008 North Park Spring Festival, San Diego, CA - 2006, 2007 Adams Avenue Roots Festival, San Diego, CA - 2006, 2007, 2008 Hope Lives Here HIV Benefit Concert, San Diego, CA - 2006 Earth Day Celebration, Poway, CA - 2006 San Carlos Acoustic Music Festival, San Diego, CA - 2005 Julian Bluegrass Festival, Julian, CA - 2004, 2008