Bill Clark: Trumpet, VEJI, Teaching, 4+ Decades of Playing
Remembering Hugh Fraser and telling VEJI tales on the occasion of a celebratory Oct. 16 show at VanJazz '26
On the Rhythm Changes Podcast, Bill Clark talks to Will Chernoff about his playing career going back to the late 1970s, which includes the entire history of the seminal band VEJI (Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation), directed by Bill's close friend, the late Hugh Fraser. Bill is a trumpeter born and raised in Surrey and a long-beloved member of the Vancouver scene. His ensembles beyond VEJI have included Talking Pictures (with Ron Samworth, Peggy Lee, and Dylan van der Schyff), Electric Miles, and his own sextet; plus the NOW Society, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, and many more groups. In recent years, he has worked as a music educator in Surrey schools. Bill also opens up about, and bookends this conversation with, his ongoing journey recovering from focal dystonia.
Bill Clark directs a VEJI concert celebrating Hugh Fraser's music at the Revue Stage Oct. 16th for VanJazz '26, presented by Infidels Jazz.
Listen to the show wherever you find podcasts, or tap here for links to some places:
Will Chernoff
