Home » Jazz Musicians » Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke is an NEA Jazz Master

Four-time Grammy™ winner Stanley Clarke is quite possibly the most celebrated acoustic and electric bassist in the world. As a performer, composer, conductor, arranger, recording artist, producer, and film scorer known for his ferocious dexterity and consummate musicality, Clarke is a true pioneer in jazz and of the bass itself. Unquestionably he is a “living legend,” lauded with every conceivable award available to a musician in his over 40- year career as a bass virtuoso.

Clarke’s incredible proficiency has been rewarded with: four Grammys, gold and platinum records, Emmy nominations, an honorary Doctorate from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, and much more. He was Rolling Stone’s very first Jazzman of the Year and bassist winner of Playboy’s Music Award for ten straight years. Clarke was honored with Bass Player Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of Greats.” He was even given the key to the city of Philadelphia.

Digging through the great multitude of accolades bestowed upon Stanley reveals an interesting phenomenon. It is difficult to remember how limited the potential career path of a bass player was before he came on the scene. Stanley almost single-handedly took the bass out of the shadows and brought it to the very front of the stage, literally and figuratively.

The traditional role of the bass was largely one of time-keeping that sonically filled out the spectrum. Clarke says: “Before I came along a lot of bass players stood in the back. They were very quiet kind of guys who didn’t appear to write music. But many of those bass players were serious musicians. All that I did was just take the step and create my own band.”

Certainly there were great and celebrated bass players before Stanley like Ron Carter, Scott LaFaro, and the pioneering composer Charles Mingus. But Clarke became the first bassist in history to headline sold-out world tours and have gold albums. He was also the first to double on acoustic and electric bass with equal virtuosity, power, and fire. By the time he was 25 years old, he was already regarded as a pioneer in the jazz fusion movement.

Clarke cites Mingus as a great influence personally and professionally. “The greatest moment in my life that changed me was having dinner with the great Charlie Mingus. He had the personality of a revolutionary that could have run a paramilitary group. He was very intense, heavy! That’s when I realized exactly what I wanted to do with the bass. I was going to approach my career completely like a revolutionary. Whatever was there, I was going to do the opposite.” The rest, as they say, literally is history.

Read more

Tags

2
Album Review

M. E. B.: That You Not Dare To Forget

Read "That You Not Dare To Forget" reviewed by Doug Collette


With all due respect to Lettuce's A Tribute to Miles Davis--Witches Stew (Self Produced, 2017) and the all-star ensemble dubbed Bitches Brew Revisited, M.E.B. (formerly known as Miles Electric Band) is an inordinately creative homage to Miles Davis. And given the continually experimental path The “Man With The Horn" chose to follow throughout his career, it is no doubt one of which he would approve. That You Not Dare To Forget is a slightly less than half-hour audio ...

4
Album Review

Al Di Meola / Jean-Luc Ponty / Stanley Clarke: Rite Of Strings Live at Montreux 1994

Read "Rite Of Strings Live at Montreux 1994" reviewed by Doug Collette


By the time Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke were recorded in 1994 at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival—remarkably, in their first time ever playing together in public—each had established a solid reputation in the jazz-fusion field and beyond. Accordingly, it might be seen as destiny that the three would work together in some context and indeed they did on both stage and studio (an album from which came out the year following their appearance in Switzerland).

5
Album Review

Bruce Bishop: A Dream Set Free

Read "A Dream Set Free" reviewed by Doug Collette


Guitarist Bruce Bishop's A Dream Set Free carries a sizable impact, albeit one so understated that it is difficult to gauge how out of proportion it is in relation to its playing time of slightly over thirty-minutes. But this album also turns out to be a remarkably seamless piece of work, even with the presence of two distinct rhythm sections. No doubt producer Ben Harper had much to do with forging the continuity of these nine tracks (all composed by ...

105
In Pictures

The Stanley Clarke Band At Blue Note At Charles Krug Estate

Read "The Stanley Clarke Band At Blue Note At Charles Krug Estate" reviewed by Walter Atkins


A collection of photos from the Stanley Clarke concert at the Charles Krug Estate in St. Helena CA on September 11, 2021 featuring the Stanley Clarke Band, Today was a day of many firsts. This was Stanley Clarke's first live concert post Covid 19 and his first performance at the spectacularly beautiful Charles Krug Estate. Blue Note Napa's outdoor “pop up venue" at the winery provided a fantastic venue for enjoying the Stanley Clarke Band under the stars ...

4
Radio & Podcasts

Jazz Fusion from the '70s with Stanley Clarke, Return to Forever, Al Di Meola, plus much more

Read "Jazz Fusion from the '70s with Stanley Clarke, Return to Forever, Al Di Meola, plus much more" reviewed by Len Davis


Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Al Di Meola, plus more. Playlist Stanley Clarke “Silly Putty" from Journey To Love (CBS) 00:00 Return To Forever “Dual of the Jester and the Tyrant" from Romantic Warrior (CBS) 09:54 Al Di Meola “Suite Golden Dawn" from Land of the Midnight Sun (CBS) 19:33 Jaco Pastorius “Reza" from Broadway Blues & Teresa (Jazzpoint) 29:23 Jaco Pastorius “Medley-Donna Lee" from Broadway Blues & Teresa (Jazz Point) 39:10 Nicolas Meier-Dewa Budjana “Tales" from flying Spirits ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

Stanley Clarke, Return to Forever, Soft Machine and More

Read "Stanley Clarke, Return to Forever, Soft Machine and More" reviewed by Len Davis


In the second part of this week's show we take the way back machine and revel in the glow of classic Jazz Rock and Fusion from the 70's. Enjoy the show! Playlist Stanley Clarke “Power" Stanley Clarke (Columbia) 0:07:22 Return to Forever “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" After the Cosmic Rain (Polygram) 08:25 Al Di Meola “Suite Golden Dawn" Land of the Midnight Sun (Columbia) 0:09:51 Billy Cobham “The Muffin Talks Back" Inner Conflicts (Atlantic) 0:09:56 ...

24
Reassessing

For Those Who Chant

Read "For Those Who Chant" reviewed by Peter J. Hoetjes


Luis Gasca was one of the hottest trumpet players in California during the 1970s, recording a handful of albums fueled by the drugs, the culture, and the excitement of that time and place. Though they all featured large ensembles, only one of them allowed some of the era's most legendary musicians to blur the lines separating jazz, latin, and rock and roll. “Everyone should have two favorite cities; their own and San Francisco," claimed Gasca. It was there, ...

Read more articles
7

Performance / Tour

Bunny Brunel, Stanley Clarke, Kyle Eastwood, & Armand Sabal-Lecco Take Center Stage For An Unforgettable Night Of Bass!

Bunny Brunel, Stanley Clarke, Kyle Eastwood, & Armand Sabal-Lecco Take Center Stage For An Unforgettable Night Of Bass!

Source: First Take PR & Consulting

On January 19, 2024, legendary bassist Bunny Brunel headlined at the Catalina Jazz Club for his Bass Ball 2 CD release concert. The sold-out event featured iconic bassists Stanley Clarke, Kyle Eastwood, and Armand Sabal-Lecco, with performances by Larry Dunn and Kaylene Peoples. The night showcased bass virtuosity, surprise collaborations, and a captivating mix of jazz, blues, and Bossa Nova. Hosted by Kevin Foster and opened by Pat Prescott, the event received high praise and was an unforgettable evening for ...

18

Music Industry

Legendary Bassist Stanley Clarke Proudly Announces The Premiere Of His Web Series, Stanley Clarke’s Bass Nation, November 16 On YouTube

Legendary Bassist Stanley Clarke Proudly Announces The Premiere Of His Web Series, Stanley Clarke’s Bass Nation, November 16 On YouTube

Source: Diane Hadley Public Relations

Grammy winning bassist Stanley Clarke has developed an 8-episode monthly web series entitled Stanley Clarke’s Bass Nation. The first episode of Stanley Clarke’s Bass Nation will debut November 16 on Stanley Clarke’s YouTube channel. It represents his effort to share the wealth experience he has garnered over his 50-year career as a musician, band member, soloist, arranger, composer, and band leader. The project is about the dynamics of the music industry, recording and performing, and includes Stanley’s conversations with noted ...

Recording

Stanley Clarke: Halston

Stanley Clarke: Halston

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Jazz and the movies have a long history. Many silent films were accompanied by live ragtime, and jazz was performed in movies or was a mainstay of movie storylines for decades once talkies emerged in 1929. Movie scores by jazz artists is a different matter. That started in the late 1950s with I Want to Live (1958/Johnny Mandel) and continued with Anatomy of a Murder (1959/Duke Ellington), The Subterraneans (1960/Andre Previn), Paris Blues (1961/Duke Ellington) and Blow-Up (1966/Herbie Hancock) to ...

6

Recording

Node Records To Release Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “halston” Composed By Jazz Legend Stanley Clarke

Node Records To Release Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “halston” Composed By Jazz Legend Stanley Clarke

Source: Diane Hadley Public Relations

Node Records is pleased to release Stanley Clarke’s original score for the critically-acclaimed documentary Halston on Friday, June 7th, 2019, through all digital platforms. The film is being distributed by 1091 nationwide on June 7th. Halston Director Frédéric Tcheng ("Dior and I") documents America’s first superstar designer’s rise to international fame in the 1970s through weaving archival footage and intimate interviews with Halston’s family, friends and collaborators including Liza Minnelli, Iman, Joel Schumacher, Lesley Frowick, and Jacqueline Kennedy. It is ...

6

Recording

Drummer Bob Holz To Release Third Album Feat. Bass Legends Stanley Clarke And Ralphe Armstrong

Drummer Bob Holz To Release Third Album Feat. Bass Legends Stanley Clarke And Ralphe Armstrong

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James

Jazz-fusion composer and drummer Bob Holz will be releasing his third album VISIONS: Coast to Coast Connection, featuring bass legend Stanley Clarke on February 23, 2018! “This collaboration with the jazz star and Return to Forever bassist/composer, Stanley Clarke involved the recording of new compositions I wrote taken from my roots in jazz, classical, blues and rock music,” says Holz. Joining Holz and Clarke is former Mahavishnu Orchestra bassist Ralphe Armstrong who currently plays in Holz's touring band, Bob Holz ...

3

Recording

Bunny Brunel And Stanley Clarke Bring Notable Bass Players Together For This Historical New Bass CD, Entitled "Bunny Brunel And Friends - Bass Ball"

Bunny Brunel And Stanley Clarke Bring Notable Bass Players Together For This Historical New Bass CD, Entitled "Bunny Brunel And Friends - Bass Ball"

Source: First Take PR & Consulting

“I think Bass Ball is a great, innovative record with some of the best bass players in the world, encompassing a variety of styles.” –Bunny Brunel If you like the bass, then you will love Bass Ball, a new CD encompassing everything that’s great about the bass. The innovative album is produced by Bunny Brunel and Stanley Clarke; and has been five years in the making. Bass Ball features Bunny Brunel and Stanley Clarke, featuring solos by Billy Sheehan, Victor ...

1

Career

Bass Legend Stanley Clarke Included In Smithsonian's New NMAAHC Museum And Gives Free Bass Workshop Opening Day

Bass Legend Stanley Clarke Included In Smithsonian's New NMAAHC Museum And Gives Free Bass Workshop Opening Day

Source: Diane Hadley Public Relations

The opening of the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) September 24 in Washington DC will be particularly exciting for legendary bassist Stanley Clarke. Not only is one of his Alembic basses and archival photos included in the museum exhibit, but he is participating in the opening festivities, Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration. Clarke will attend the opening dedication ceremony and then give a free Bass Workshop at the Fannie Lou Hamer Stage on the ...

1

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Omaha Diner, Eliane Elias, Stanley Clarke, Susan Werner, and more

Jazz this week: Omaha Diner, Eliane Elias, Stanley Clarke, Susan Werner, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's shaping up to be another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a handful of visiting headliners in town at various venues, a couple of homecoming shows featuring former St. Louisans, and a full schedule of performances from local players as well. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, November 18 The quartet Omaha Diner, featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik, drummer Bobby Previte, and trumpeter Eric Bloom, makes their St. Louis debut in the first ...

1

Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: David Sanborn, Rebirth Brass Band, Chick Corea, Ku-Umba Frank Lacy, Stanley Clarke Band, and More

Jazz This Week: David Sanborn, Rebirth Brass Band, Chick Corea, Ku-Umba Frank Lacy, Stanley Clarke Band, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's the busiest week for jazz and creative music so far this fall in St. Louis, with a half- dozen touring headliners passing through town in the next seven days. Let's go to the highlights.... Tonight, alto saxophonist and Kirkwood's own David Sanborn returns home to begin a four- night run continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Sanborn will be accompanied on this visit by an all-St. Louis rhythm section, with Eric Slaughter on guitar, U City's Peter ...

4

Recording

Bass Legend Stanley Clarke’s New Album Up Reaches New Heights The Stanley Clarke Band: Up

Bass Legend Stanley Clarke’s New Album Up Reaches New Heights The Stanley Clarke Band: Up

Source: Diane Hadley Public Relations

Bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke’s new recording, The Stanley Clarke Band: UP, is scheduled for release September 30 on the Mack Avenue Records label. He considers UP to be the most energetic, fun, rhythmic and upbeat album that he has ever done and with more than forty albums under his belt, that’s saying quite a lot. Clarke’s signature bass virtuosity and amazing technical acumen is present throughout, but the enjoyment he had in making this album is also apparent. Unlike his ...

Photos

Concerts

May 13 Mon

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

That You Not Dare To...

Legacy Recordings
2023

buy

A Dream Set Free

Mad Bunny
2022

buy

Rite Of Strings Live...

Mercury Studios
2022

buy

Live At The Old Grey...

Alternative Fox
2020

buy

Original Motion...

Node Records
2019

buy

Stanley Clarke Band:...

Mack Avenue Records
2018

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.