I’m fortunate to be interviewing Stanley Clarke in the next week or so, and then I’ll be seeing him and speaking to him in person when he plays at Catalina’s in Los Angeles
In prep, I’ve been listening to whatever Stanley Clarke I own, and occasionally hitting YouTube for more. My first exposure to Clarke was through the album Live 1976-1977, which kicks off hard with the title track from his 1976 release, School Days, and then flows through 9 tracks – all but one live – before closing with Vulcan Princess, originally on his self-titled release from 1974. Live 1976 - 1977 – and others to be discussed later - should be on anyone’s shelf as a good representation of some spectacular jazz-rock fusion.
If that’s what you’re into.
If it is, you need his latest. Released in June, 2010, I’m upset that I didn’t get it until September (although his media contact did send me one as soon as I contacted her). Simply called The Stanley Clarke Band, this release has been compared to his first three albums, and rightfully so. It is a wonderful fusion, but not just jazz and rock. It’s more like a movie soundtrack – accompanying many events, but tied together in a cohesive form. The album is comprised of tunes written by members of the band – not just Clarke. And it feels like a true collective – not leaning toward one instrument or another. It opens with Soldier, written by pianist Ruslan Sirota, which puts his concerns over global conflict into a musical context. Before long (track four) you’re into pure, raw funk, with I Wanna Play For You Too. As with the opener, the rest of the album doesn’t seem to be a collection of individual songs, but - rather, 63 minutes of a sonic soundscape (to borrow from Echoes, and John Diliberto), flowing through several movements, taking you to and through many places – accompanied by a myriad of feelings.
One last note (to coin a phrase) on this album: So many jazz musicians insert humor or some sort of homage into their works. Sometimes this is simply in the title of a piece. On this album we have a song that is incredibly multi-layered not only in structure, but in title as well. Sorting out the title of the 8th track, Larry Has Travelled 11 Miles and Waited a Lifetime for the Return of Vishnu’s Report, we get an homage to Larry Coryell’s 11th House, Miles Davis, Tony William’s Lifetime, and the groups Return to Forever, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report. Whew!
Clarke says it’s going to be his last electric album he’s gonna do for a while. But with The Stanley Clarke Band, he’s adding to the legacy he’s already left.
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