In 1996 bassist Kim Clarke performed regularly with the Rachel Z Trio at MATCH, a club in lower Manhattan . Rachel's friend, saxophonist Rob Scheps, sat in often. His musical prescence electrified the atmosphere of the club. Kim asked Rob to listen to some arrangements that she had written and recorder on a sequencer. She hadnt the opportunity to play them as a busy single parent and freelance musician. She told him of her attempts to generate interest in them with record companies and clubs. He encouraged her to play and record them nevertheless. Rob relocated to Oregon and began a career working, touring and teaching in local colleges.

He called in 1997 and said that Portland was a great open-minded place with a lively music scene and that Kim could work there performing her own music. She flew out on frequent flyer miles after Rob booked a few nights in coffee houses,clubs and college workshops . He gathered a few of his newly- found musician friends. Among the stellar original west coast participants were: pianists George Mitchell(above) of the Diana Ross Band and Gary Versace, guitarist Doug Lewis of Pleasure, drummers Jeff Minnieweather & Alan Jones, trumpeters Paul Mazzio and Greg Cooper, alto saxophonist Ben Fowler and Jeff Uusitalo on trombone. Another friend loaned Kim an amp.

Rob, having lived in NY, reciprocated and the two continued the project .The East Coast constituency consisted: of Adam Klipple,Bertha Hope and Roger Wilder on piano Bruce Edwards and Paul Bollenback on guitar, Shunzo Ono and Jamie Dauber on trumpet, Todd Isler and Bill McClellan on drums. Kim booked a series of library concerts,Flushing Town Hall,the Lenox Lounge, The Jazz Spot and an African Art Museum.The addition of multi-instrumentalist drummer Ronnie Burrage augmented and solidified the project.The newest addition to the MAGNETS! Experience is the extraordinary vibraphonist, Bryan Carrot, who also plays in Kim's Inner Circle Trio and Q-tets

MAGNETS! was named as a collaboration of diverse kindred spirits dedicated to discovery and freedom to pursue original music and thought. MAGNETS! has performed thereafter in Clubs, Libraries, Bookstores, Colleges & Universities in Washington , Oregon California , New York, Pennsylvania and Maine frome 1997 -2004.MAGNETS! LIVE AT THE EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL was recorded live in Seattle Washington.