By 1974, Stanley Clarke, the renowned virtuoso and ground-breaking bass player and composer, had essentially invented a new way to approach playing the electric bass as a lead instrument, and in the process brought the now ubiquitous bass “slapping technique” into uncharted territory.
Clarke, the recipient of five Grammy Awards — three as a solo artist, one with the Stanley Clarke Band, and one with Return to Forever, performed an electrifying and inspired show at City Winery in the West Village on April 11. For most of the night, he played an upright double bass, occasionally switching to his classic Alembic electric bass, most notably for a masterful rendition of Charles Mingus’ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.
Clarke is one of the few musicians in history to have equally and unequivocally mastered both the upright double bass and electric bass. Now at 73 years old, Clarke shows zero signs of slowing down and he is arguably playing better than ever.
On the bandstand that night with Clarke were three young great musicians, or as Clarke quoted Wayne Shorter, “these are the new people.” Playing the trumpet was Wallace Rooney, Jr. On piano and keyboards was Julius Rodriguez. On drums was the fantastic Miles Martin.
Building His Prominence on Bass Guitar
Giving the bass guitar a prominence it previously lacked in jazz music, Clarke was the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, to sell out shows worldwide and to have recordings reach gold status.
This all started when Clarke was 12 years old, growing up in Philadelphia. His mother sang opera around the house, belonged to a church choir, and encouraged him to study music. By this age, he stood over six feet tall, and his hands were too long for violin and accordion, the first instruments he tried to play. However in the corner collecting dust, was an acoustic upright bass that he would try on for size — and history was on its way to being made.
He took double bass lessons at the Settlement School of Music in Philadelphia, studying classical bass under Eligio Rossi. As a teenager, he picked up the electric bass guitar so that he could perform at parties and impress the girls.
Clarke eventually attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy, and moved to New York City in 1971. He gained work with many well-known jazz bands early in his career. Before recording his first solo album in 1973, Clarke would work as a sideman with Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, and with Tony Williams Lifetime Experience, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and Art Blakey, followed by Gil Evans, Mel Lewis, and Horace Silver.
His Defining 70s Band: Return to Forever
Clarke met keyboardist Chick Corea in 1972 during his stint in the Stan Getz band. Prior to his meeting with Corea, Clarke’s prime aspiration was to become the first Black musician in the Philadelphia Orchestra. However, by 1972 this backing band was so good, Corea and Clarke formed a partnership to create their own band—a band that would make history. They separated from Getz and Return to Forever was born.
The first edition of Return to Forever performed primarily Latin-influenced music. Their first album, titled Return to Forever, was recorded for ECM Records in 1972. The second album, Light as a Feather (1973), was released by Polydor and included Corea’s most recognized piece, the song Spain.
Through 1976, the band made a radical change in musical direction from their albums Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, and Romantic Warrior. The band made history by becoming one of the first jazz fusion bands, playing a mixture of rock and jazz. This is where Clarke developed his legendary lead playing style and signature sound, now playing all electric bass on Alembic, experimenting with novel effects for the time, such as distorted tones and flange sounds.
Concurrently with the Romantic Warrior album (his last with RTF) in 1976, Clarke also recorded and released his most widely acclaimed solo album, School Days.
Legendary Bassist Stanley Clarke. Photo by Kaju Roberto.
Stanley Clarke’s Legacy
Larry Graham is generally recognized as the first bassist to use this slapping technique on recordings with Sly and the Family Stone in 1967. This technique became the archetype of modern funk. However, Graham played one riff usually with an open E, which he would only slightly modify.
By 1974, Stanley Clarke applied this funk technique to more complex musical forms such as jazz and fusion, with his band Return to Forever as the major catalyst. He then forged a new prominent lead-playing style on the bass, much like an electric guitarist would play, while still holding down the rhythm. Listen to Clarke’s masterful album School Days, and you will hear the dominance of the bass guitar in both roles.
This was almost unheard of in 1976, with the only other example being his contemporary Jaco Pastorius, the other historic jazz fusion bass player who would break new ground. However, unlike Pastorius whose light would shine ever so brightly until his brutal slaying by a club bouncer in 1987, Clarke has enjoyed a long eclectic six decade career to this present date. His skills as a composer for films, TV, as well as his indomitable bass playing in his many recordings and live tours, with a plethora of world renowned musicians make him an undisputable legend.
Check out Stanley Clarke tour dates with his band of great musicians coming to a city near you. https://stanleyclarke.com
Read this article on the legendary bassist Stanley Clarke where I originally wrote it in The Village View:
Kaju Roberto is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet on Spotify.