I slept on Stankey Clark WAY too long

[CrimsonGhost]

Is he ok?

 

[Neck Diver]

Stanley is an excellent bass player both electric and double bass. Good songwriter and educator. Saw him with RTF. Here’s a good DVD with him and many others at a benefit for Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.
Sorry it’s sideways.

 

[Don Kasper]

Here is Stanley C.'s beautiful/trippy composition "Butterfly Dreams" - 1973 - he was 22 yrs old....and that is him on Upright bass.

 

[zombywoof5050]

I got my first Alembic bass around 1982 because of Stanley.

Check out The Rite Of Strings (acoustic trio with Al Dimeola & Jean-Luc Ponty) for yet another flavor.

 

[logdrum]

Saw him a few times in CA and NYC

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I know a guy in an oldtyme string band who goes by "Stankey"... he's a rhythm guitar player though.

 

[Maxi Funkl]

Stanley Clarke is by far the most significant non Funk, R&B, Rock, or Soul Electric bassist of my lifetime. You hear Larry Graham, Mingus, Carter, Brown influences in his playing but with his own undeniable talent, flair, flash, skill, & improvisational touch.

I my bass journey I discovered Larry Graham 1st, Bootsy 2nd, Louis Johnson & Stanley Clarke 3rd.

School Days & The Dancer lead to Lupsy Lu which lead to RTF.

ROCK, PEPPLES, & SAND is great launching point to discover his flexibility and showcase of his massive talent.

 

[MrWolf14]

When I was young, I used to go to a record store and the owner was recommending me albums to buy.
Once in a while I listened to him ... and most of the times I found real gems.

That's how I bought "If this bass could only talk" and listened to Stanley Clark for the first time.
A typical fusion record, with a lot of great melodies.
If I remember correctly, James Earl was on "bass" while Stanley Clark was playing his "piccolo" and there is even one track with Stewart Copeland on drums.

Now I have to go and listen to the record as soon as possible

 

[dougjwray]

For me, it was Return to Forever's "Light as a Feather." His playing on the upright hit me like a lightning bolt.
Listening to it now, he sounds to me like a youngster who is overplaying to a hilarious extent. But those chops were mighty inspiring to me, back then!
Very free, and great sound and intonation, too.

 

[lyonaudio]

Stankey?

 

[dougjwray]

Another player I’ve never looked into. I’ve seen videos of him soloing. Does nothing for me. I’d be VERY interested in hearing him be just a regular bass player playing low notes.

I kinda have the same feeling about Victor Wooten though he was a major influence on me in the 90’s when I started playing. His first few albums with The Flecktones were phenomenal to me because he taught me that a bass player needs to step out of the way of the other instruments and play a supportive role while adding in some nice little flourishes here and there where there’s space. But when it comes to soloing and notes a flurry, it gets tepid real quick.

I agree about Victor Wooten. I first saw him very early, with Bela Fleck, on TV-- it was a PBS concert series, maybe "In Performance at Wolf Trap"?
He made a huge impression on me, because he did what you said: he played with incredible taste, yet could flash amazing chops when necessary.
Back then, I used to soothe my fragile ego by thinking, "But these chops guys can only do THAT... they aren't musical. (And there's my opening.)" However, Wooten WAS doing both, and after that show, I never forgot his name as someone to keep my eye on.

 

[bucephylus]

I saw RTF in something like 1976 when I was young and impressionable. I was not yet playing bass but Jack Bruce, John Entwhistle, Phil Lesh, JPJ and Chris Squire were The Godz of Bass to me. Then I saw Stanley and the heavens truly opened. I had never heard bass playing like that.

Amen, brother!

Ca. 1974, I had been all over the British Progressive bands - Zeppelin, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, etc - and happened by the television room at the dorm after dinner. This show was on:



My jaw literally was on the floor. A transformative moment. First, I understood that I would NEVER play anything like this amazing talent. Second, the combined show with Hancock’s crew turned the lights on in the American music room and Jazz in particular. Seminal.

I will further state that the aspect about Clarke’s mastery which I find MOST compelling is his dedication to disciplined improvement, somewhat in spite of his prodigious talent. In Clarke’s early RTF days, he would play very musical sounding gliss cheats on his upright, which Steve Bailey somewhat called him out on later. Meanwhile Clarke continued to shed serious efforts on his upright technique, which is now beyond phenomenal.

Further, Clarke’s leadership with younger musicians is exemplary.

Virtuoso, Discipline, Leader. Clarke is truly Maestro.

 

[claudel]

I also enjoyed his gig with The New Barbarians...

 

[scuzzy]

Stankey Clark would be a great name for a tribute band.

 

[Ostie]

Does Stankeys wife know you slept on him?

 

[Bass1447]

Mr. Clark is now using Epifani amps. He ordered 2 from Frank. One was sent to a friend of Mr. Epifani to evaluate. He handed it off to me to run through a couple of gigs. I informed him that I would be keeping the amp. Paid the asking price and sold my original Epifani. Both are UL901 v2. But the tone stack in mine is Stanleys specs. It's also the only UL901 rated for 2 ohms. Needless to say, it's a amp I will keep forever.

 

[wjcstp]

If you haven't seen it, this is worth a watch, Stanley on bass, Wayne Shorter on sax, Omar Hakim drums.

 

[Michedelic]

Mr. Clark is now using Epifani amps. He ordered 2 from Frank. One was sent to a friend of Mr. Epifani to evaluate. He handed it off to me to run through a couple of gigs. I informed him that I would be keeping the amp. Paid the asking price and sold my original Epifani. Both are UL901 v2. But the tone stack in mine is Stanleys specs. It's also the only UL901 rated for 2 ohms. Needless to say, it's a amp I will keep forever.

But let’s not forget one of the more outrageous bass rigs of the 70’s….

 

[Erik Turkman]

If I remember correctly, James Earl was on "bass" while Stanley Clark was playing his "piccolo" and there is even one track with Stewart Copeland on drums.

For a minute, Stanley and Stewart played together in the group Animal Logic. I think they recorded two albums.

 

[Bob_Ross]

For a minute, Stanley and Stewart played together in the group Animal Logic. I think they recorded two albums.

Yep, two albums, in 1989 and 1991. Deborah Holland was the frontperson and (iirc) primary songwriter.
They also toured more recently (2012) in a quartet under the imaginative monicker "The Stanley Clarke/Stewart Copeland Band"