Up (Mack Avenue Records, 2014)
Bass maestro Stanley Clarke’s discography is multifaceted. He’s played cutting edge fusion and smooth jazz as well. His latest album, Up, presents a wide range of styles. The best moments are the bass solos throughout the album.
“My aim here was to make a record with my friends. Every single recording session was nothing but fun. The environment I established allowed me to be much less bothered by outside elements,” reveals Clarke.
The album begins with ‘Pop Virgil’, an upbeat funk piece set to a pop beat. “This actually came out of a drum and bass interlude in my stage performances of ‘School Days.’ I’ve always wanted to turn it into a song of its own. I couldn’t go wrong with the great Michael Jackson session rhythm section of John Robinson, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Greg Phillinganes. Also Jerry Hey did a great horn arrangement,” Clarke says.
The next cut, ‘Last Train to Sanity’ has a quirky cinematic feel and strong classical orchestra, featuring the Harlem String Quartet. “It’s a theme to a movie that hasn’t been written yet,” says Clarke. “The song is about an individual who has an epiphany and finds his way back to sanity.”
The title song “Up” is fundamentally a fast beat jazz pop tune. The fourth cut is a tribute to the late George Duke. Clarke performs a version of ‘Brazilian Love Affair, one of Clarke’s favorite George Duke compositions. The album opens with a samba beat, but later turns into Brazilian-inspired smooth jazz.
The brief acoustic bass solo ‘Bass Folk Song #13: Mingus’ is the first of a series of short exquisite bass solos.This one is a tribute to Charles Mingus. “They’re very specific compositions and each one is different. I started writing them when I was much younger and have about twenty now. They are specifically written for a solo bass.”
‘I Have Something To Tell You Tonight’ has a great funk jazz introduction that is reminiscent of the work by Marcus Miller.
Straight ahead jazz arrives with ‘Trust’, which is dedicated to Clarke’s daughter NaNa. The second bass solo vignette ‘Bass Folk Song #7: Tradition’ showcases Clarke’s talent. Here he uses an Alembic electric tenor bass.
Fans of the classic fusion bands such as Return to Forever and Weather Report will enjoy ‘Gotham City’. It features one of the best bass solos on the album. This is Clarke’s homage to superheroes in movies and comics. “I just let my Alembic bass go and have a great time with Ruslan, Mike Mitchell, Phil Davis on keys and Doug Webb on tenor sax,” says Clarke.
The third short solo bass piece is ‘Bass Folk Song #14: Dance of the Giant Hummingbirds/Eleuthera Island. It’s a combination of two bass folk songs performed on acoustic bass.
‘School Days’ is one of Clarke’s most popular compositions, with a catchy pop beat. On this occasion he invited outstanding rock and fusion guitarist Jimmy Herring who delivers a spectacular performance.
The last song has the Spanish language title of “La Canción de Sofia” (A Song for Sofia). It was written for Clarke’s wife Sofia, who is from Chile. This is one of the finest cuts on the album, a live acoustic performance of a duet with Chick Corea.