Stanley Clarke Journey To Love (CD, Epic, 1975) ***
Stanley Clarke School Days (CD, Epic, 1976) ****
Stanley Clarke Modern Man (CD, Epic, 1978) ****
Stanley Clarke Clarke/ Duke Project (CD, Epic, 1981) ****
Genre: Jazz fusion
Places I remember: HMV London
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Modern Man (from Modern Man)
Gear costume: The Dancer (from School Days); Rock and Roll Jelly (from Modern Man)
Active compensatory factors: Fusion is a genre that is pretty much made for me. There are elements of prog rock, it's jazz, but not jazz, has guitars and guitar wig outs, mainly instrumentals, some show-off-manship and pretension, a lot of noodling...all there in the genre.
Stanley is one of fusion's main heroes - a bass guitarist who creates out there music with some of the best musicians on the planet: Tony Williams (drums); Jan Hammer (keyboards); Chick Corea (piano); George Duke (keyboards); Jeff Beck (guitar); John McLaughlin (guitar); Lenny White (drums). That's only some, and that's only on the first two albums listed above!
Each of these five albums contains some sublime playing - and each has at least one peak track: Lopsy Lu (Stanley Clarke); Concerto For Jazz Rock Orchestra (Journey To Love); The Dancer and Hot Fun (School Days); Modern Man (Modern Man); Wild Dog (Clarke/Duke Project).
Only down side is his proclivity, from time to time, for solo bass pieces. Youch. Those moments are for the diehard bassists!
Where do they all belong? If you need more - return to Return To Forever.
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