Biography

CLYDE CONNOR BIOGRAPHY

Percussionist, composer and arranger, Clyde J. Connor is a native of Grove, Oklahoma, and graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1988. After graduation, Clyde attended the University of North Texas as a graduate student in the Jazz Studies Masters Degree program and was a member of the Two o’Clock Lab Band. While there, Clyde successfully auditioned for the U. S. Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble and in the fall of 1989, moved to Washington, D.C. In the Navy, Clyde was featured as a performing musician, composer and arranger, with many charts to his credit included in regular concert programming and recordings.

Civilian musical opportunities were abundant, and Clyde took full advantage performing regularly at the world-renowned Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., the Big Apple Circus in Reston, Virginia and countless festivals and shows in Baltimore, Maryland, including two seasons as the "Pops" drummer with the Baltimore Symphony. Clyde can be heard on numerous recordings as a session player at Omega Recording Studios in Rockville, Maryland, with the majority of work in conjunction with major music publishing companies including Barnhouse, Columbia, CP Beldwin and Warner Brothers. In addition, Clyde’s compositions and arrangements are being performed by university and professional groups worldwide.

After leaving the Navy, Clyde settled in the Northeast Florida area, and in the Fall of 2005, Clyde served as an adjunct professor of music at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. In the spring of 2016, Clyde completed his Masters in Music degree at the University of Florida. Clyde can currently be seen as a freelance drummer performing at various venues throughout the United States, including serving as the drummer for the annual Jacksonville International Jazz Piano Competition and Festival in Jacksonville, FL.

Artists Clyde has performed with include Jeff Andrews, Louie Bellson (drum duet), Randy Brecker, Dave Brubeck, Pete Christlieb, Eddie Daniels, Curtis Fuller, Jon Faddis, Terry Gibbs, Don Grolnick, Milt Hinton, Steve Kahn, Dave Liebman, Brandon Marsalis, Don Menza, Claudio Roditi, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schurr, Doc Severinsen, Bobby Shew, Lou Soloff, Marvin Stamn, Clark Terry, Stanley Turentine, Chris Vadala, Ernie Watts, Joe Williams and Snooky Young.