Gifted jazz bassist who established many contemporary techniques with his dazzling, rapid patterns and a highly influential slapping technique. He worked with Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, then in 1972 with Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and Art Blakey, followed by Gil Evans, Mel Lewis, and Horace Silver.[11]. And when I came off the stage, I think I had lost 5 pounds. Can you describe his musicality and how it fit with yours? Two years later, Clarke and keyboardist George Duke formed the Clarke/Duke Project, which combined pop, jazz, funk, and R&B. [18] During the early 1980s, he toured with Corea and Return to Forever, then worked with Bobby Lyle, Eliane Elias, David Benoit and Michel Petrucciani. He put sunglasses on me. While on tour, British guitarist Jeff Beck was performing the song "Power" from that album, and this was the impetus for their meeting and Beck's introduction to Hammer. A veteran of over 40 albums, he won the 2011 Best Contemporary Jazz Album Grammy Award for The Stanley Clarke Band. I have that with Lenny. Stanley Clarkes income source is mostly from being a successful . Four-time Grammy Award Winner Stanley Clarke has attained "living legend" status during his over 40-year career as a bass virtuoso. And I read somewhere that originally you thought the bass on it was too loud? BIOGRAPHY; FOUNDATION; Bass Nation; MERCH; 0 Cart 0 items. And it all began in a very unlikely place when you wrote some music for "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and the rest is history. And number two, you have two really distinctive techniques you have to master. He is the first bassist in history who doubles on acoustic and electric bass with equal ferocity and the first jazz-fusion bassist ever to headline tours, selling out shows worldwide. He earned the money being a professional Bassist. You know, and then you have the advantage of having great sound. Can you just talk a little bit about that time and what that was like and how different was it from playing the 100 people in your jazz club? And what was nice about it was because it was one of those movies that I had never realized. After Return to Forever's second album, Light as a Feather, Clarke received job offers from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Ray Manzarek of the Doors, but he remained with Return to Forever until 1977. Jo Reed: In other interviews, youve discussed people in your early life who call shining lights. And one of them was Mr. Rossi, your teacher. As in 2023, Stanley Clarke's age is 71 years. You know, jazz musicians, rock musicians, country musicians, classical musicians, because we play different music and there's different genres there is the idea that we don't talk to each other or not play with other and it is really incorrect. Stanley Clarke attended Philadelphia Academy of Music, PA. Stanley Clarkes mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Just this is going to be honest." 2009 saw his release of Jazz in the Garden, featuring the Stanley Clarke Trio: with Clarke, pianist Hiromi Uehara, and Lenny White on drums. ! https://t.co/y1tXcTdzpY; about 2 months ago Can't wait https://t.co . His latest score composition work was for the documentary film Halston (2019), directed by Frdric Tcheng. I don't think anybody did that. The record was gigantic and we had a hit single because George was a great singer. So you know, so I started writing the music from the script and then when the movie came, when the movie came to me, it was interesting taking some of that music and laying it up against the picture and I was surprised that a lot of it worked. You know, a lot of people come down and we'd have a great time and we'd play, all the judges would play. You know, sometimes he was a little rough when my hands weren't in the right position, he had a little paddle. That's probably out of all the older bands I've played with, the one I'm the most proud of is Art Blakey because so many people went through his band. Long before he became a four-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, a composer for recordings and film, as well as one of the most celebrated acoustic and electric bass players in the world, Stanley Clarke was a student. And I was glad to let it go. We need more of that. However, a gig at age 15 playing with saxophonist Byard Lancaster during a week of shows at the landmark Showboat Lounge solidified his passion for jazz. I wonder how that would sound?" In 1973, Clarke made his debut as leader with the expansive, funk-infused Children of Forever. And the next day work and work and work. Then the next person gets a certain amount of money. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Because I mean, you know, when you do serious studying, there's an element of struggle and pain. With a new group, The Stanley Clarke Band released the album The Stanley Clarke Band which won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Stanley remains as driven today as the teen prodigy from Philly with big dreams, and now, a lifetime of legendary accomplishments and contributions. Jo Reed: When did you start picking up an electric bass and add that to your arsenal as well as the acoustic bass? A really cool guy named Vernon Slaughter at Epic Records said, "You know, you guys hang out so much, you should make a record. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States. He is best known for his work with the fusion band Return to Forever, and his role as a bandleader in several trios and ensembles. We were playing at the some club in London called Ronny Scott's and Paul came. You know, when I started studying with him I used to come late and he used to sit me down and explain to me about the importance and the purpose of being on time. Stanley Clarke is an American musician who is a member of the jazz fusion band Return to Forever. In 2008, Stanley was presented with a doctorate in fine arts from his alma mater, The University of the Arts. In the process, he became the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status. Stanley Clarke: Boyz n the Hood was much like a script that you would expect from a guy in college, like a college film. Dating is to describe a stage in a persons life when he or she is actively pursuing romantic relationships with different people. The group offers scholarships to students in financial need who excel in music. He worked with Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, then in 1972 with Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and Art Blakey, followed by Gil Evans, Mel Lewis, and Horace Silver. [46], Clarke has written scores for television and movies. Jo Reed: You've played with some great, great drummers. He toured in a band with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in 1991. In 2014 Clarke was invited to become a member of the exclusive Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.Born in Philadelphia, Clarke has been a constant force of nature in American music since the early 1970s with the success of the jazz-fusion group Return To Forever. You know, we were jazz musicians. Interview: Bass-playing jazz legend Stanley Clarke", "Stanley Clarke Gears Up for Detroit Jazz Festival's 40th Anniversary", "New Barbarians: Inside Rolling Stones' Wild Seventies Spin-Off", "2 Musicians With a Meeting of the Minds", "How Paul McCartney Tapped Into a Storied Past With 'Tug of War', "Stanley Clarke Is the Reason You Love Music", "Paul McCartney, "Hey Hey" from 'Pipes of Peace' (1983): One Track Mind", "Paul McCartney. Can you describe that and how you got there. You know, if someone wants you to play, they like your playing and you like them, that person musically or you like the person, you know, you go do the gig and let it roll. Stanley Clarke: Well, the slap technique, it actually comes from the bass player Larry Graham who played with Sly and the Family Stone and believe it or not, the drummer, Lenny White, showed me how to slap on the bass. The two had met when Chick came to Philadelphia to sit in for a keyboard player in a band in which Stanley was playing. SEXUALITY: N/A. And yeah, I did get it. Always, his distinctive bass stood out. TodayHe continues to work and has several film scores as well as a string of albums to his name. Stanley Clarke: "Sweet Baby" was like a top 20, top 10 single. So owe go play the Showboat. So at that point, I started listening to African music, music from Puerto Rico, music from Cuba, music from Scandinavia, German music, Asian music. And so it was a very festive, very happy thing. The duo formed the Clarke/Duke Project in 1981. Three basses and three premier basses and we went around the world and I mean my God, so many people came out to see us. In 1979, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones formed the New Barbarians with Clarke and Keith Richards. Jo Reed: That was bassist, composer and 2022 NEA jazz Master Stanley Clarke. Upon leaving the Philadelphia Musical Academy (now part of the University of the Arts), Stanley made his way to New York City where he very quickly landed opportunities to work with such greats as Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Pharaoh Saunders, Gil Evans and Stan Getz. They are associated with a rejection of traditional values. . So we gave cash awards. Study, study, study and more study and then forget it. I had been playing with Joe Henderson. He is one of the Richest Bassist who was born in PA. Jo Reed: What do you think of when you play the acoustic bass? In 1975, Clarke picked up his first Grammy for RTF's No Mystery, which took home the award for Best Jazz Performance by a Group. Because, you know, if you're thinking something, you're composing it. [10], Clarke attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy (later known as the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts, and ultimately as the University of the Arts, after having merged with the Philadelphia College of Art) and after graduating moved to New York City in 1971. Stanley Clarke: Well, you know, recording in a studio, if we're playing a chart and you're playing something for the first time, it has its good points because you're playing something new; if you're in there with some new guys, it's great. Many, many congratulations, Stanley and thank you for giving me your time. But man, there was a wealth of information there. [39][40][41], In 2009 he released Jazz in the Garden, featuring the Stanley Clarke Trio with pianist Hiromi Uehara and drummer Lenny White. This was his first release in five years, on October 17, 2007. He is an invited member of the exclusive Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. You did lots of touring. Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his mother encouraging him to study music. Stanley Clarke was born on 30 June, 1951 in Philadelphia, PA, is an American bassist. In his early teens, Stanley moved from the violin, his fingers were too big for, and the cello that never sat well with him, to an abandoned acoustic double bass in the corner of a school band room. That's kind of what distinguished Return To Forever. The release of his self-titled Stanley Clarke in 1974 and the widely regarded School Days two years later, took the world by storm, transforming the bass into a melodic and harmonic lead instrument, as never before. He says, "When were you happiest?" He started playing bass at an early age, attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy, and then moved to New York. See all 83 Events. And I had to have communication devices like headphones to communicate. And so I studied with him and I saw my improvement. One of his most hands-on contributions is evident in the form of the piccolo bass, which he envisioned and developed with Carl Thompson and the tenor bass which was developed with Alembic. We were rehearsing to play at the Hollywood Bowl and we were in a studio and we just rolled the tape and recorded everything. So I remember reading it going, "Wow. Physical size - Clarke is a slim 6'3" and his Alembic basses tend to be short-scale (in this case, 30-3/4" versus a typical 34"), so in his hands, the Alembic seems almost like a toy. The 13-track CD examines the issue of war, and it includes performances by vocalist/bassist Esperanza Spalding, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, percussionist Paulinho da Costa and violinist Mads Tolling. So you have to kind of have that together. Stanley Clarke: So, well, there was a guy named Ron Moss who later managed Chick Corea. He picked up bass guitar in his teens so that he could perform at parties and imitate the rock and pop bands that girls liked. Stanley Clarke is commonly considered among the most important bassists of the jazz-fusion era (c. 1972-1982). [fetch instagram=stanleyclarke display=posts ]. Jo Reed: Whats the difference for you between recording in a studio and performing live? Stanley teamed up with fellow bass titans Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten collectively known as S.M.V. Stanley Clarke Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight. Yeah. In 2012 Return to Forever won a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Forever. Though they're sensitive, they also hesitate, which makes them lose on chances. His trio has included Lenny White on drums. Stanley Clarke made money by Rock Stars niche. Birth Name: Stanley Clarke Occupation: Bassist Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Birthdate: June 30, 1951 Age: 70 years old (as of 2022) Ethnicity: Black Nationality: American Sexuality: N/A. Away from Return to Forever, Clarke continued to pursue his solo career and gained increasing acclaim for his fluid bass style, which found him moving away from the instrument's traditional rhythm section role and playing lead lines and improvising. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. The film tells the extraordinary story of the life and death of the American fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick. And but I didn't realize what that movie meant for a lot of people. See all 222 Events. Yeah, Lenny, Lenny's one of those musicians that like Chick, whatever he does, I know what he's going to do and vice versa. You've worked with Return To Forever. I have that with Chick. Clarke attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy (later known as the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts, and ultimately as the University of the Arts, after a merge with the Philadelphia College of Art) and after graduating moved to New York City in 1971. These basses are handmade neck-through instruments made from a mixture of exotic woods and a proprietary active pickup system that is powered from an external preamplifier. He teamed up with keyboardist George Duke in the 1980s, touring and recording together and scoring a top 20 pop hit, Sweet Baby. Clarke continued playing with a host of artists from various genres, from Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones to violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. I wanted to be one of the first African-Americans in the Philadelphia Orchestra so I was studying classical music. I expected I'll be 80-years-old in this apartment here. And then you don't have the time constraint. Two years later, he picked up his second Grammy, this time for Jazz Instrumental Album, for The Stanley Clarke Band, which included Japanese pianist Hiromi, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr., and a slew of guest performers. Biography, Net Worth, Gossips, Salary, News & Much More. Gifted jazz bassist who established many contemporary techniques with his dazzling, rapid patterns and a highly influential slapping technique. You know, providing you can play that music, you can play that genre of music. And once you understand that, man, the sky's the limit with that person. I toured with him for about a year. Jo Reed: Did you have to learn to forget it? Also, there's social skills. with Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten. After the second album, Farrell, Purim and Moreira left the group to form their own band, and guitarist Bill Connors, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Mingo Lewis were added. A few other people. His latest score composition work was for the documentary film Halston (2019), directed by Frdric Tcheng. I loved it. She was a great painter as well. In the early '80s, Clarke teamed with longtime friend and colleague keyboardist George Duke for The Clarke/Duke Project. Hello Again composed by Stanley Clarke, performed by Return to Forever, from the album, The Best of Return to Forever. In 1988, Clarke and drummer Stewart Copeland of the rock band the Police formed Animal Logic with singer-songwriter Deborah Holland. Also known as "boomers", are the result of the end of World War II, when birth rates across the world spiked. So you hear music to have an opinion about it, like it or dislike it. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Awards Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr [23] Two years later, Clarke and keyboardist George Duke formed the Clarke/Duke Project, which combined pop, jazz, funk, and R&B. If it's directed at people and it has a positive message hanging on that, it's incredible. Buy Stanley Clarke tickets from the official Ticketmaster.com site. Because it's a very uptone line, very happy. It's in the form of an acknowledgment. Ruling Planet: Stanley Clarke has a ruling planet of Moon and has a ruling planet of Moon and by astrological associations Sunday is ruled by moon. In addition to an economical variation on the funky Larry Graham-style slap-n'-pop technique, Clarke also uses downward thrusts of the entire right hand, striking two or more strings from above with his fingernails (examples of this technique include "School Days", "Rock and Roll Jelly", "Wild Dog", and "Danger Street"). And the reason why he's so significant to me because he understood me. In those days, you would play one week at a club, 6 days. We had these huge screens. That's really pretty much it, you know. You know, let's hang out after the gigs." (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Robby Takac estimated Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height, Dating, Relationship Records, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. I've never really defined myself within a genre of music. The trio had success with their first album and world tour but the follow-up sold poorly, and the band did not continue. Stanley Clarke: Well, it was great. That was my first experience playing in a jazz club. He also paired with longtime associates Al Di Meola and Jean-Luc Ponty for 1995's The Rite of Strings. They recorded together for the first time on Clarke's album Journey to Love. He also composed music for the movies Boyz n the Hood, Passenger 57, and What's Love Got to Do with It,[13] the television programs Lincoln Heights, Waynehead, Static Shock, A Man Called Hawk and Soul Food, and the video for "Remember the Time" by Michael Jackson. And basically, there were school dances and guys would say, "Hey, man, can you make this gig and play the school dance?" You made 7 albums. Since the 1980s hes composed some 70 film and television scores including John Singletons Boyz n the Hood, Jet Lis Romeo Is Dead, and the documentary Halston. Im always interested in beginnings, so when I spoke with Stanley we went back, back, back to his upbringing in Philadelphia and his mothers early nurturing of his musical talent. Other collaborations followed, including Animal Logic with the Police's Stewart Copeland, Rite of Strings with fellow RTF bandmate Al Di Meola and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, and Thunder, the debut from his bassist supergroup S.M.V. Stanleys storied career includes a world tour with guitarist Jeff Beck (1979), collaborations with The Police drummer Stewart Copeland as part of Animal Logic with (two albums and tours in 1989) , the Superband (which included Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Najee and Deron Johnson, 1993-1994), The Rite of Strings (Jean-Luc Ponty and Al Di Meola, 1995 and 2004) and recording and touring with Vertu (Lenny White, Rachel Z, Karen Briggs and Ritchie Kotzen, 1999). And yeah, it was just a cooler thing and it was really, my first electric bass was really raw. The first edition of Return to Forever performed primarily Latin-oriented music and used only acoustic instruments (except for Corea's Fender Rhodes piano). A lot of energy. Jo Reed: Well, you have this whole other career as a composer for television and movies. This was my third album I did with this engineer. Family: He has been married twice. He drew attention to the bass guitar as a solo instrument that could be melodic and dominant in addition to being part of the rhythm section. He is known for being a He is the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status. It was really magical. . Back in those days, you couldn't. I listened to a lot of things. It was not something that we wanted to make a big deal about, me and the wife. Stanley Clarke: No, no. I like to pass down, you know, what I've learned because that was done to me when I played with Stan Getz, particularly Art Blakey. He had a record out. I had started out in New York playing with Horace Silver then I played with Art Blakey and a few others and then eventually Stan Getz and then eventually I played with Joe Henderson. An invitation to score an episode for the popular CBS program Pee Wees Playhouse in the mid-1980s, resulted in an Emmy-nomination, and pointed Stanleys boundless creative energy in an entirely new direction, producing scores for the silver screen and television. And so there's a way to do that, you know, where you pick the right tempo, like you pick all the different spots. In 2003, he released 1, 2, to the Bass, and then paired with pianist Patrice Rushen for 2006's Standards. We had to provide sort of a click track for the orchestra so they'd be in synch with the picture. Return to ForeverDuring this period he joined the jazz fusion group Return to Forever led by pianist Chick Corea. To achieve this, his forearm lies above and nearly parallel to the strings, while his wrist is hooked downward at nearly a right angle. Stanley Clarke: Yeah, Mr. Rossi was like a very short I used to call him my little Roman friend because he was an Italian guy. He was crazy. Primary Income source Bassist (profession). Like many famous people and celebrities, Stanley Clarke keeps his personal life private. At the age of 82 years, Stanley Clarke (swimmer) weight not available right now. I said, "Happy." And so I got an electric bass I think for about $15 dollars, $20 bucks. The orchestra was there. Stanley Clarke: Yeah. Bassists Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten presented the award at a ceremony at New York City's Millennium Broadway Hotel. Used courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Equipment - Clarke has always been very strongly associated with Alembic basses and the vast majority of his recorded output has been produced with one model of Alembic or another, particularly a dark-wood-colored custom bass in the Series I body style. And sometimes it's nice to be acknowledged, you know. And you actually conducted a 60 piece orchestra performing the score from Boyz n the Hood the soundtrack as the film played. Following studies at the Philadelphia Musical Academy, Clarke moved to New York City, soon working with legendary performers such as Art Blakey, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and Horace Silver. We really bonded musically. I sort of reserved my opinion about it. Perhaps the thing that Stanley is most proud of is the role of his band as a showcase for the musicianship of established and developing artists over the years. Sofia, my wife, you know, she likes it when I play with the bow and so I was working on some of the Bach Cello Suites, you know, she would always come in and go, like, "That's not quite right yet." After Return to Forever's second album, Light as a Feather, Clarke received job offers from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Ray Manzarek of the Doors, but he remained with Return to Forever until 1977. Jo Reed: And you also did Forever with Chick Correa and with Lenny White, and that was, two disks, but the first disk is recorded live from concert appearances. Stanley Clarke: Yeah. Jo Reed: You were 15 when you played your first gig in a club, the Showboat Lounge. I tell you, some of the smartest people I've ever met make movies because it's an interesting thing. Since the 1980s, Clarke has turned much of his energy to television and film scores. And, you know, you have to learn how to be able to, like, shine immediately like snap of a finger. Stanley Clarke estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. After the second album, Farrell, Purim and Moreira left the group to form their own band, and guitarist Bill Connors, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Mingo Lewis were added. My hardest problem was always giving song's titles. Clarke joined fellow bassist Paul McCartney in 1981 to play bass on McCartney's 1982 & 1983 releases Tug of War & Pipes of Peace. The 90-minute presentation documents the third annual Stanley Clarke Scholarship Concert, recorded at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, in October 2002. Somewhere up there. He would also find himself playing again with Chick Corea. He started playing bass at an early age, attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy, and then moved to New York. It would be stupid to write that stuff in there. You know, when I try to explain that period to people, I have to be very specific. And it was great. And I mean, and that can be just torturous to the ears. Or was that something that came pretty naturally to you? We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 30 June. If you're a jazz player, you have to master pizzicato with your fingers. I mean, we're all friends. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing. A veteran of over 40 albums, he won the 2011 Best Contemporary Jazz Album Grammy Award for The Stanley Clarke Band. Damn, you got to turn the bass down." I had a couple scholarships from various music institutions and I had this one course which was Chemistry and can honestly say, maybe I went there half of the time and I deserved to fail. For lead and solo purposes, his fingers partially hook underneath the strings so that when releases, the strings snap against the frets, producing a biting percussive attack. She was a semi-pro opera singer. In addition to his solo career, Clarke, as a founding member of the legendary jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever, has helped redefine the sound of jazz over the last 50 years. Date City Venue Country; Tour: Stanley Clarke N 4Ever 03/24/23 Cincinnati, OH: The Ludlow Garage: United States: Time: 8:30pm. Stanley made his professional debut at 15-years old, when he was invited by saxophonist Byard Lancaster to join him for a week of shows at the landmark Showboat Lounge, where many of the greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Stan Getz and others would play and record. So we had Marcus Miller's bass right down the middle, Victor Wooten's bass was to the left and I was stage right. He expanded into film music, supplying the soundtrack to the 1992 Wesley Snipes' Passenger 57. He's one of my favorites. We're playing jazz, but that person has a particular way that he plays, that he takes that language. The bassist then paired again with Copeland for two albums in the fusion project Animal Logic. Born in Philadelphia in 1951, Clarke developed an interest in music at a young age, and was encouraged by his mother, a church choir member who often sang opera at home. [1][2][3], Clarke is a 5-time Grammy winner, with 15 nominations, 3 as a solo artist, 1 with the Stanley Clarke Band, and 1 with Return to Forever. You can take the time to roll something out. We fazing. Maybe put someone else in there. And then you began a solo career and you're making solo records with the bass front and center.