▁child , ▁then ▁took ▁up ▁bug le ▁and ▁tr ump et , ▁playing ▁in ▁local ▁br ass ▁bands . ▁He ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁por ter ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁then ▁played ▁in ▁a ▁musical ▁rev ue ▁called ▁S . H . ▁D ud ley ' s ▁Black ▁S ens ations , ▁where ▁he ▁played ▁with ▁James ▁P . ▁Johnson . ▁Clark ▁and ▁Johnson ▁part ed ▁from ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁play ▁on ▁their ▁own , ▁landing ▁in ▁To led o , ▁Ohio ▁and ▁playing ▁with ▁Jimmy ▁Harrison ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁Clark ▁re located ▁to ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁he ▁played ▁with ▁Joseph ine ▁Stevens ▁and ▁Will ie ▁" The ▁Lion " ▁Smith ▁( 1 9 2 1 – 2 2 ). ▁He ▁then ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁travel ing ▁show ▁Hol iday ▁in ▁D ix ie , ▁but ▁this ▁enter prise ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁Detroit ▁after ▁a ▁poor ▁run , ▁and ▁Clark ▁tempor arily ▁took ▁up ▁work ▁in ▁an ▁autom obile ▁factory . ▁He ▁rejo ined ▁Harrison ▁soon ▁after ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁F ess ▁Williams ▁Band . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁Clark ▁was ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁playing ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁band ▁in ▁various ▁night cl ubs ▁and ▁other ▁ven ues ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁He ▁played ▁with ▁F erman ▁T app , ▁Jimmy ▁Reyn olds ▁( 1 9 3 3 – 1 9 3 5 ), ▁George ▁Ba quet , ▁Charlie ▁S ke ete