In late-1935, Clarke moved to New York City, where he dropped the surname "Spearman" to become "Kenny Clarke". He doubled on drums and the vibraphone in a trio with his half-brother Frank, a bassist and guitarist who had recently moved to New York and likewise changed his surname from "Spearman" to "Clarke" to profit from Kenny's newfound fame. In 1936 Clarke played alongside guitarist Freddie Green in a group fronted by tenor saxophonist Lonnie Simmons, where he began to experiment with rhythmic patterns against the basic beat of the band. From April 1937 to April 1938 He was in Edgar Hayes's group, still doubling on vibraphone, where he made his recording debut and traveled overseas for the first time. When he returned to the US with the band, he struck up a personal and musical friendship with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie who had been hired for the group's one-week stint at the Apollo Theater in New York. In his book "Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz", music critic Burt Korall writes of this time period: "Clarke was moving beyond mere functional timekeeping. He had begun to outline and emphasize ensemble, brass, and saxophone figures and to support soloists in the manner that before long would be identified as his. ... The revision of the swing drum style had not yet become fully apparent. But it was clear Clarke was working on something new." He was encouraged in these endeavors by composer/arranger Joe Garland, who gave him the band's trumpet parts , and suggested that he play along with the brass when he felt it necessary to emphasize or support their lines.