Poet, writer and performer, John Clarke is a well known name in London’s poetry performance scene. Born of Dublin parentage, he devoted more than two decades of his early career in commercial banking before finding the Muse in the mid to late 1990’s.

Author of Ghost On The Road (Tall-lighthouse, London, 2006/Reprint, 2008), Clarke is affectionately known as ‘Jazzman John’ due to his abiding influence from & interest in Jazz, Jazz styles, structures and rhythms. He is well-known for his collaborations with a wide variety of talented musicians & this fact often feeds into & inspires his writing. John has also run a series of ‘alternative’ events throughout London, featuring, mainly, poets, musicians, singer-songwriters & performers. John is known to be good at spotting talents early & indeed the Jazz Combo ‘Ledbib’(shortlisted in the jazz category for the prestigious National Mercury Music Prize in 2009) were given some significant early ‘gigs’ by him.

John has performed in the South of France with a Jazz/Blues/Funk outfit,& more recently in 2009 both in Italy (Genoa & Bologna) with experimental & improv musicians, The International Poetry & Music Festival, Ruigoord, Amsterdam & at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he drew some extremely positive response. In August 2010, he also made his West End Theatre debut @ The Leicester Square Theatre main house via the organization ‘Artsaveslives’ in an event called: ‘Big Night Out’ & will again be appearing in the 2011 version of the event on Monday 22 August (In addition there have been various appearances with Global Fusion Music & Arts organization, who have just celebrated their 10th Anniversary, including two events with them coinciding with bi-annual event, The London Jazz Festival.)

Two of his poetry CDs, The Way I Like My Jazz -John Clarke and ‘What Jazz Can Do(For Your Life)’ have also appeared recently.

John Clarke lives in South East London.