Stanley Clarke | The Stanley Clarke Band
Album Review: Stanley Clarke - The Stanley Clarke Band
By Peggy Oliver
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Oh,
the power of the bass. The booming bass that shakes car stereos. The bass
vocalist who frames all the choir sections: baritones, tenors, altos and
sopranos. Then there is Stanley Clarke. Not only is he extraordinarily
versed on the standard acoustic bass and electric bass, he throws in a
variety of tenor, piccolo and other basses in between. Whether a
soloist or in a group, Clarke rarely plays by the rhythmic bass rules.
Since his days with keyboardist Chick Corea and Return to Forever (RTF),
Clarke’s nimble fingering, stunning dynamics and complex solos always
turned into jaw dropping experiences. During his quieter and more
retrospective moments as part of the Bass Folk Songs series, Clark
balanced exquisite melodies with his own accompaniment, a mesmerizing
task for any bassist. The Philadelphia School of Music graduate from
1971 found immediate work afterwards with major bandleaders like Horace
Silver and Gil Evans. His melodic sense was fueled by listening to Scott
LaFaro (bass player for Bill Evans) and Charles Mingus, an attribute
which certainly attracted musicians like Corea and landing a long time
gig with RTF.
Before they established themselves
as one of the most respected jazz/rock fusion bands, RTF started in an
acoustic setting. The lineups changed from time to time with Corea and
Clarke as the constant members. Eventually RTF split in 1983, but
sneaked in a few reunions with guitarist Al DeMeola and
drummer/percussionist Lenny White. There is even a 2011 tour planned.
Despite being in and out of RTF, Clarke kept extremely busy as a solo
artist (School Days is considered a classic in duet with George Duke
(The Clarke/Duke Project), Animal Project with Police drummer Stewart
Copeland and countless super groups including bass guitar powers Bela
Feck & The Flecktones’ Victor Wooten and respected urban music
producer Marcus Miller. This is not including the depth of his many
movie and television soundtrack contributions; from Pee Wee’s Playhouse to The Five Heartbeats.
At times, Clarke drew criticism from drifting away from his jazz roots,
especially for his soundtrack work. Yet in the long run, most would
agree Clarke was a consummate musician and is one of the best bass
technicians and teachers in contemporary jazz.
In recent years, Clarke joined the expanding Heads Up! family; beginning with The Toys of Men, to the acoustic-driven Jazz In The Garden
by The Stanley Clarke Trio (with drummer Gerry Brown and pianist Hiromi
Uehara) from 2009, and now another fusion extravaganza, the latest
configuration of The Stanley Clarke Band. His
new disc hints at Clarke’s time with RTF, some acoustic jazz
fills, world music and two more solo bass passages from the Bass Folk
Songs series. And Clarke knows where to find young jazz lions for his
core band in Uehara, Ruslan Sirota and Ronald Bruner, Jr., the latter
two from The Toys of Men session. Sirota’s
composition, “Soldier,” about the fight for global humanity, kicks in
high gear with a collage of rock, modern jazz and world music. Staying
in a global groove, “Fulani,” from the pen of Cameroon bass guitarist
Arman Sabal-Lecco, finds Clarke channeling his sensitive side, compared
to his trademark plucking and popping style, and a warm, yet too brief,
synthesizer solo by Sirota. “How Is The Weather Up There?,” a statement
on global warming issues, weaves spoken word, Clarke’s talk box and
Bruner and Clarke’s intense rhythm section. On “I Wanna’ Play For You,”
Clarke turns the heat up on this Confunkshun filled jam several notches
with Road Runner speed across the bass guitar strings. Not surprisingly,
the composer happens to be Confunkshun's keyboardist Felton Pilate.
Corea’s “No Mystery” brings back the RTF days in grand style. Those
tight Latin spiced hooks just make the fusion fan crave more. Hiromi
shines as composer and primary soloist on “Labyrinth,” crafting swift
piano notes with a marvelous sense of interplay between all the backing
musicians.
With all this glorious fusion celebration going on throughout The Stanley Clarke Band,
the crème de la crème belongs to “Sonny Rollins” – the song. The
festive rolls over in Latin funk, a filthy synth bass line from Larry
Dunn, joyous solos from Hiromi, Sirota, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and
a swinging vocal frosting from Cheryl Bentyne. Naturally, the big climax
comes from a tasty acoustic bass solo from Clarke, undoubtedly feeding
off the spirit of Mingus, cruising easily on bowed and plucked strings.
Supposedly, Clarke is going to step down from the electric fusion
platform after The Stanley Clarke Band.
That said; Clarke has plenty in the gas tank to do whatever his
spirited jazz heart wants to take him and his fans. Oh, the glorious
power of bass.
Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene
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