Nic Clark never missed a class in the blues or harmonica, learning (long-distance) from teachers like Sonny Boy Williamson, the Staples family, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield—with the result that he was playing harmonica in bars at twelve years old. Formal, on-site education, however, proved more problematic, so Clark maintained a residence in truancy court at about the same time.

After connections with Billy Branch (who played with Willie Dixon), Lazy Lester, and Muddy Waters’ son Big Bill Morganfield, Clark went to San Jose, fell in with Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, then Greaseland Studios, thanks to Nightcat Kid Anderson. Shortly thereafter, Clark helped out on a Charlie Musselwhite and Elvin Bishop session, and then one with the not-for-profit Little Village Foundation’s (LVF) Sons of the Soul Revivers, which lead to meeting Jim Pugh, of LVF. A few jams later, Kid mentioned to Pugh that Clark would love to make a record. It snowballed from there.

“I’m a bit goofy, not a tough guy,” explained Clark. “Funky family music suits me better. Not pandering to children, not just to distract them, but to share something with the family.” He began work on Love Your Life. “Somehow, most children’s music shows come across as upper class.I wanted to make music with some grit in it, for Walmart customers like my own family.”

Nic Clark told Elmore, “I’ve been playing with blues musicians since I was twelve. The number one thing they all have in common is authenticity. Play what you know, sing what you know, write what you know. I know about being a part of a family, as a son, a nephew, a brother, and an uncle. I just wanted to take family/children’s music as seriously as everything else. I think little ones and their families deserve it.”

Love Your Life allowed Clark’s blues heroes, the heavy hitters that hang out at Greaseland Studios and the kids he loves to play together. Even the album art is by his niece Leah.

Besides the many multicultural kids on the record, Love Your Life features Kid Anderson on guitars, Charlie Hunter,  D’Mar—Derrick Martin, (Little Richard),  Jerry Jemmott (Nina Simone, B.B. King), the Tonight Show’s Vicki Randall and the Sons of the Soul Revivers. As for Clark, there’s fingerpicking guitar, Calypso steel pan percussion, and synthesizer. “We left no rock unturned,” he said.  “It really turned out to be an insane level of fulfillment.”

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