Subscribe to this feed
<$7.14.2007$>
Stanley Clarke - Virtuosity
 "Clear"... then the unmistakable sound of the defibrillator - like an industrial strength staple gun. Anyone who has ever watched ER knows the sound. It's one you hope you will never have to hear in person.After only a moment the flat line on the monitor is interrupted by equidistant spikes. Those spikes represent life restored. A tomorrow has been won for a soul at the portal of death. The mention of certain names restores life to my soul when I am in danger of flat lining. When I am at risk of becoming complacent or jaded; when my creative flame is reduced to a mere flicker, I revisit mentors and heroes for inspiration and revival. One such hero is a man named Stanley - Stanley Clarke. Stanley Clarke is a hero to me because, like another of my heroes, Miles Davis, his name has come to represent more than simply excellence on his principle instrument; it has come to define an era of excellence in artistic expression and technical mastery. Stanley Clarke is a virtuoso. Virtuosity has been defined as one who is highly skilled in the technique of an art. I define virtuosity as Itzak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis and of course Stanley Clarke. It is worth noting that virtuosity is not reserved for the arts. In fact, it is more recognizable in the field of athletics. In athletics there is a level of virtuosity that is attained by only a few that renders their names symbols of excellence in their respective fields; Michael, Serena, Venus, Tiger. Mention the word bass and ask any respectable musician over the age of 16 what the name Stanley means to them and when they are able to collect themselves and gather a few intelligible words you are likely to hear nothing less than an outpouring of superlatives. Most of you will know Stanley for his brilliant contributions with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. Some are more familiar with the Clarke/Duke Project with George Duke. If you are not familiar with either, then you have homework to do. Prepare to  To add another personal reference to this framework, I was given an opportunity to share the stage with Stanley at the Majestic Theater this July 20th and to tell you the truth I would have paid the promoter to add me to the bill. That's how highly I regard this icon. Now that I've mentioned some of his more popular credits with Duke and Corea, I'll introduce you to some lesser known credits earned by Stanley Clarke the composer/arranger. Passenger 57, Boyz N the Hood, What's Love Got to Do With It?, Higher Learning, Poetic Justice, The Five Heartbeats and the hit television series, Soul Food are all credited to this one time prodigy from Philadelphia's prestigious Academy of Music. The man has won every possible award a musician can win including Grammys, Emmys and every conceivable reader's poll - some year after year after year. But other bassists don't dismay when he adds yet another award or another year's reader's poll, they simply say as do I, "Stanley Clarke is the best there is." "Period!" Article also published in Dallas Weekly |
I've been looking all over for this!
Thanks.