Stanley Clarke Band

Stanley Clarke (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 15, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Heads Up
• ASIN: B003HLT0CI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,308 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2011 GRAMMY NOMINEE: BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE & BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM

Renowned bassist Stanley Clarke's new recording, The Stanley Clarke Band, is unlike his previous acoustic bass releases, Clarke feels that this album's music is fresh and different from just about anything he's done before. Produced by Clarke and Lenny White, the range of collaborative material on The Stanley Clarke Band has allowed him to venture to new levels of experimentation, utilizing his arsenal of bass instruments. Clarke compares this new release to the first three albums of his solo career: Journey to Love, Stanley Clarke, and School Days, with long extended electric pieces that take the listener on a kind of journey.

"Technically, it's a Stanley Clarke record, but it's very much a band-oriented record at the same time," says Clarke. "I may be the leader, but everyone played an important role in what emerged. If a project like this can be looked at like a ship, I'd be the one steering the ship and keeping everybody on course. But all hands were definitely on deck, and everyone played an important role in getting us to our destination."

Also a new foray for Clarke, the album includes original compositions from members of the band. He is joined by Stanley Clarke Band keyboardist Ruslan Sirota and drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr. - who have been performing and recording with him for the better part of five years. Innovative young musicians, they have virtually grown up in Clarke's band and bring a freshness he admires. Following 2009's highly-acclaimed Jazz In the Garden, this is featured artist Hiromi Uehara's second Clarke recording collaboration. Clarke's rugged and complex bass work serves as the ideal foil for her trademark fiery and expressive piano chops, as reflected through critics' praising it as "a superb trio effort" (Bass Player) and "one of the best jazz CDs of the year" (San Jose Mercury News).

"There are people on The Stanley Clarke Band other than myself who have something to say," explains Clarke. "Everyone on this project brought their own music and their own ideas. The styles of the individual tunes may be different, but the continuous thread that runs through the whole record is the fact that we're all operating as a unit on each track."

Among the additional players in the album's supporting cast are vocalist Cheryl Bentyne (a longtime member of The Manhattan Transfer); guitarists Charles Altura, Rob Bacon, and Armand Sabal-Lecco; saxophonist Bob Sheppard; bass synthesizer Lorenzo "Larry" Dunn (of Earth, Wind & Fire fame); keyboardist Felton Pilate; horn players Andrew Lippman and John Papenbrook; and drum programmers Chris Clarke and Jon Hakakian.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of The Stanley Clarke Band is the exceptionally organic nature of its genesis - the sense of grassroots creativity that existed outside of any efforts to tailor the music to any specific segment of the market. Clarke concludes, "This is the last electric album I'm going to do for awhile. The legacy of this release is that I'm providing lots of material and homework for a new generation of bassists to catch up with. I've worked hard to give the bass a distinctive voice, and I feel so excited about where it's going."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BASSically great!, June 19, 2010

By 

4tunes500 (Barneveld, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Stanley Clarke Band (Audio CD)

I grew up on fusion in the 70's. It was new then and I couldn't get enough of it. I love jazz as a whole but fusion is what holds my heart. I grew up on "Journey to Love", "School Days", "Rocks, Pebbles and Sand" and RTF. I am a music fiend who orders music weekly and frankly there's no more room in the house so I'm trying to curb my addiction. I was impressed with 07's "Toys of Men" but this cd brings it up a notch; this is Stanely's tribute to fusion and his role in it. It is a gift to those of us who knew fusion and an update to the idiom that invites the next generation in. Highlights are an updated Corea era "No Mystery" (which is what drew me to the CD), what would best be called a funky sequel: "I'll Play For You Too", a beautiful ballad "Here's why Tears Dry" and a great tribute simply titled "Sonny Rollins". My Impression is that Stanley has looked back on his career and decided to share with his followers what he has loved playing most by reinventing it for this cd. The cd is solid and flows; the supporting band is excellent. I found room for it in my house; you should too!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Live the King!, June 23, 2010

By 

Dragonlord "Proud American" (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stanley Clarke Band (Audio CD)

As a bass player myself, Stanley Clarke is a mythic figure. I still remember the first time I heard the School Days album, and then went back to hear his earlier recordings. I've listened loyally even during the years when I felt he almost lost his way (remember "Time Exposure?"). Realistically, though, no artist hits it out of the ballpark every time at bat. And in the past several years, Stanley has rewarded my patience with some towering performances. "The Toys of Men" was, in my opinion, a masterpiece, as was the S.M.V. "Thunder" album. So, I was eagerly waiting to see if his latest offering would hold to the same high level of quality. If anything, he has surpassed it.

"The Stanley Clarke Band" is a virtuosic smorgasbord of old-school fusion, classical jazz, modern-day funk and introspective collaborations. Stanley's playing is fresh and inventive, and not as self-referential as previous outings.

This is a spectacular recording showing a legendary master at the absolute top of his game. Highly recommended!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They don't make albums like this anymore! er, rather, they just did!!, June 30, 2010

By 

Joseph W. Szilagy "Joe Szilagy" (Mississauga, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stanley Clarke Band (Audio CD)

The other night I had the great pleasure to see and meet Stanley, Hiromi, Ronald Bruner Jr. and Ruslan Sirota at the Toronto Jazz Festival where they had played an astounding set of furious hard-fusion, interspersed here and there with the gentle beauty of songs from "Jazz In The Garden". There did not appear to be one person in the crowd who wasn't totally blown away!

Contrary to what I've always done in the past, I saw the band "first" before hearing the album, which I had bought only a couple of hours prior to the show. Interestingly when Rusland Sirota signed the CD cover/sleeve, he proclaimed, "So, this is what it looks like!"- he hadn't even seen it yet!

Whilst listening to it the next day, the first thing that occurred to me is that those thirty-second samples on Amazon are only the tip of the iceberg- there's much much, more going on in these songs than those samples will even begin to hint at!

One of the first things you notice, is Stanley's absolutely pristine bass sound- the strings sounding so bright and clear, yet beautifully carrying the bottom end, sounding as though he had put on a brand new set of strings for each song! Stanley and Lenny White do a great job at the production helm beginning with Ruslan Sirota's original, "Soldier", a very cool piece that occasionally shifts into high gear with one of the most interesting transitions I've heard in a long time: a "Police"-type uptempo groove with slightly distorted, yet not overbearing guitar which creates a melancholy mood that's just gorgeous, nicely setting the stage for all of the unique things about to on throughout this great album.

Next, in "Fulani", more of those shimmering strings with someone providing a "chut, chut chut-chut chut" vocal percussive sound for a slow cool Fender Rhodes-type spacey piece with those great guitar harmonies similar to what you'd hear on one of Lenny White's albums from the late '70s. "Here's Why Tears Dry" is also another haunting, slower tempo song with an Alan Holdsworth-style guitar solo, which is also where brilliant new up-and-coming drummer, Ronald Bruner Jr., get's to show us a bit of his skills- with more to come!

"I Wanna Play For You Too", absolutely brilliantly captures late '70s/early '80s funk, even production-wise, but with a more modern technique bringing clearer drums and bass up into the mix. Stanley's intro to "Bass Folk Song No. 10" is the prettiest bass thing I've heard since Jaco Pastorious' "Portrait of Tracy", which I'm sure many bass players will want to learn for it's touching melody.

One of my favourite pieces is the ominous and unique "How Is The Weather Up There" replete with various, sometimes eerie, telephone vocal samples reminding us of what's happening to the planet. After awhile it begins to chug along nicely with a slow groove somewhat like Jeff Beck's, "The Pump", from "There and Back". In "Larry.....(the title's too long to write!), Ronald Bruner is starting to really open up, as is Hiromi, both finally going into high-gear (Hiromi more like her solo albums). Of course Stanley is right up there with them, along with Ruslan Sirota demonstrating that he's no slouch! As with his performance in concert, he still sounds superb even next to the astounding Hiromi! Who'd a thought?!

Speaking of Hiromi, it's her piece "Labyrinth" that's next, in the classic Hiromi tradition, but with powerful Stanley Clarke strumming and tone.

Yet another very interesting and joyous piece comes next, "Sonny Rollins" which, after a brief double bass solo brings us a beautiful, very high-pitched female vocal melody in sync with a cool brass line, settling nicely into an almost Ghanaian "Highlife" groove(!), interspersed with gorgeous Nelson Riddle-type shimmering strings that might just give you goose bumps! This has got to be one of the most joyous modern jazz pieces since Weather Report's, "Birdland". If Joe Zawinul can hear this one, I'm sure he's smiling!

To close this great album we have "Bass Folk Song No. 6" (Mo Anam Cara), a lovely haunting piece to end off at least a good hour's worth of great music!