Philadelphia, PA-based reggae jam rocker JAY D CLARK has played music publicly since 2008, amassing fans from around the world online since he began his music career. With parents both from Brooklyn, NY, he was raised playing soccer in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and competed at some of the highest levels possible growing up. Before Major League Soccer existed in America, Jay D was offered professional youth trials with a couple of English Premier League clubs, but didn’t realize the opportunity he was offered and declined. His one major regret in life. He began his college soccer career at the previous year’s #4-ranked Division 1 Old Dominion University Monarchs. Upon graduation and a college transfer, he decided to focus on his film degree from Temple University, rather than soccer.
Working in the east coast film, video, music, and art scene for years, JDC amassed a wide-ranging repertoire of multi-media skills. For four year Jay D managed Media Bureau, a highly-touted underground multi-media production facility and gallery in Philadelphia. There he met the legendary Chuck Treece, a groundbreaking pro skater and prolific studio and touring musician, while working on his movie project Order of the Quest. Treece, who has worked with acts like The Roots, G Love, Pearl Jam, Bad Brains, McRad, Slightly Stoopid, Billy Joel, Sting, Busta Rhymes, Mike Pinto, The Movement and others, co-produced, engineered and cut almost all musical tracks on Clark’s first record Fall of the City.
The 2008 record started JDC’s foray into live music shows. Treece guided Clark as a bandleader into the unique situation of playing with talented, different backup bands for almost every show while on tour. When playing in the home region JDC plays with either an area band backing him or gathers an unrehearsed group from a sizable, select pool of talented musicians for an improv set of originals and covers.
The common foundation of every live show is Clark’s well-written, universally upbeat reggae rock tunes, consciously connected lyrics and strong, soulfully sweet hooks sung with true passion. His raw energy creates a uniquely palpable experience live on stage every time. People can’t help but feel it and dance to the rhythm. His music feels familiar to complete strangers.
In 2011, Jay D began work on his second record Intelligent Design, by putting together two days of recording at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia. Those sessions involved Ray Pirre, John L Langsford, Mark Carson, Adam Flicker & Xande Cruz and yielded 3 tracks. The second session occurred 8 months later with Tony Catastrophe, Ray Pirre, Jay Davidson & Jason Fraticelli, which yielded another three songs. The final three tracks come from several sessions with co-producers Tony Catastrophe and Chuck Treece. The new record was released in Octoboer 2013 and has received strong college radio play across the U.S.
JDC has shared the stage with established bands like The Movement, SOJA, The Wailers, Ballyhoo, B Foundation, Supervillains, TreeHouse!, Seedless, Echo Movement, Mike Pinto, Turbine, and more. JDC has also played with members of acts like Jay Z, Matisyahu, Bad Brains, Maxi Priest, Sly & Robbie, John Brown’s Body, The Movement, Three Legged Fox, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Lenny Kravitz, Brian Wilson, Ween & Whitney Houston.
In his tours, JDC has been backed by upcoming national and regional touring bands like TreeHouse!, Three Legged Fox, Cheezy and the Crackers, Sun-Dried Vibes, Domino Effect, Of Good Nature, Jahman Brahman, Resinated, Sidereal, Yamadeo, Burning Tree, Si Senorita and more.
He has played great venues from New York to Florida to California including Sullivan Hall (NYC, NY), House of Blues (Atlantic City, NJ), World Café Live, The Piazza at Schmidt’s & Love Park (Philadelphia, PA), Bourbon Street Ballroom (Baltimore, MD), Seacrets (Ocean City, NJ), House of Blues (N Myrtle Beach, SC), The Boathouse, Myrtle Beach, SC, Nowhere Bar (Athens, GA), State Theatre (St. Pete, FL), Adventure Island (Tampa, FL), Harborwalk Village Ampitheater (Destin, FL), San Diego Convention Center (San Diego, CA), DiPiazza’s (Long Beach, CA), and many more.
