Stanley Clarke [ Happy jazz warning]

jerry · #1 04-14-2003, 07:09 PM

I just got the new Stanley Clarke album, and unless you like happy-jazz...stay away from it! It's so sugary, I'm going for a diabetes test

Pick up Stanley's early stuff of Vertu....you will be better off.

godoze · #2 04-14-2003, 09:04 PM

Stanley still plays the bass ???

I thought he just had pictures taken with it these days.

J. from Samsara · #3 04-14-2003, 09:22 PM

Man I have never heard any Stanley Clarke till the other day. The local radio station was doing classics and played School Days. Holy crap it was great. Anyone have a suggestion of the first album of his to buy?

jerry · #4 04-14-2003, 09:37 PM

Stanley did three in a row that are simply great, his self titled, Journey to Love & School Days. You can't go wrong with any of them......no "Happy Jazz"

**Josh Ryan** · #5 04-14-2003, 10:09 PM

Oh well, you confirmed my fear for that album.

J. from Samsara · #6 04-14-2003, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerry
Stanley did three in a row that are simply great, his self titled, Journey to Love & School Days. You can't go wrong with any of them......no "Happy Jazz"

Cool, thanks Jerry, time to start another collection I guess!

godoze · #7 04-14-2003, 10:27 PM

Jerry is right on about those. Also check out the RTF albums.

Anything after the mid 80's you might as well
not invest in; all softcore...

DigMe · #8 04-14-2003, 10:41 PM

Awww man....I got all pumped after that Bass Player interview. Stanley sounded like he was back on track. Too bad.

I shoulda known though the moment I heard Oprah Winfrey is on it. I guess hope was beating down realism in that case.

brad cook

jerry · #9 04-14-2003, 10:47 PM

The Bassplayer artical gave me hope too.....I was looking foward to it

FatFunker · #10 04-15-2003, 08:53 AM

Stan is on the local radio show (live) right now as i type this. He is playing to shows here tonight in rochester in a small club, I have tickets to both, I can hardley wait,
As far as his new disc. it is a little over produced- I think this is because he just gets board and likes to try new thinks. go to his webpage www.stanleyclarke.com and look at his discography- It takes 20 minutes just to scroll all the way down. I mean come on, one of the greatest bass players ever did the soundtrack to undercover brother

But listen to the songs on the soundtrack and

BIg O · #11 04-15-2003, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DonZ
.... Also check out the RTF albums....

The RTF albums feature some of Stanley's best playing. My favourites are "No Mystery" and "Light as a Feather". I used to listen to them for hours on end back in the day...

peteroberts · #12 04-15-2003, 09:27 AM

does anyone have a review of the show? I'm going to see him Sunday in ATL and am wondering if he's playing any old stuff.

DWBass · #13 04-15-2003, 09:57 AM

Check out the soundtrack to 'Passenger 57'! Talk about some funky @$$ bass playin'............

Half-fast · #14 04-15-2003, 11:07 AM

Bass-ic Collection is not a bad sampler.

jerry · #15 04-15-2003, 02:59 PM

I'm sure Stanley's live show is going to be a different animal.....it will be great! There are so many bands like Spyro Gyra etc, who's albums I don't care for, but live just smoke!

p.s. There where a couple songs on the new Stanley Clarke album I do like.....I was just disappointed in most of it......they really didn't have to remake 'Where Is The Love' when there is already the definitive version out there by Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack.

Bassin' · #16 04-15-2003, 03:27 PM

Back in the early '90s I bought Stanley Clarke's "East River Drive" album and wasn't too impressed. It sounded like elevator jazz. Anyway, he came through town in support of that album and I decided to check it out anyway. As it turned out, it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Not at all like the album.

I just bought Return to Forever's, "Light is a Feather" a couple weeks ago and it's probably the most impressive bass playing I've heard from him.

JRBrown · #17 04-15-2003, 10:32 PM

I didn't see this one on his web page. I like it a lot.

Personnel:Stanley Clarke (bass); Ndugu Chancler (drums); Patrice Rushen (piano).

zombywoof5050 · #18 04-16-2003, 01:02 PM

Nobody ever mentions "Rites Of Strings", I like that one a lot.

godoze · #19 04-16-2003, 01:39 PM

I like Patrice Rushen...

I always thought that Stan the Man was/ is a better double bass player than he is an electric player.

Not diminshing the mark he made on the bg environment or anything, I just find his upright playing, while equally athletic and virtuosic, deeper and infinitely more musical than his bg playing.

It's funny tho, he will always be known for making a mark in the electric world but I've heard him tell people (me) that bassists should pursue the DB for lifelong satisfaction (i am parahrasing here...)

Listening to the self-titeled album the other day, i thought that if i were hearing this for the first time I wouldn't really be impressed. I was seriosly impressed when I was 13 and wore the grooves off of the vinyl...He had some intonation issues on most of the tracks.

at any rate, i still dig Stan for the most part. Wish tho that he would play a little more aggresively- he's not in the senior bowling league or anything.

I read in BP that he wants to keep up (parahrasing again) witht the likes of Wooten, et al., but I do not see how that can happen unless he sheds for a few years and comes up with something fresh and meaningful.

rant over.

peace.