He teamed up with keyboardist and singer George Duke for the Clarke-Duke Project- touring and recording a number of albums together including a top 20 pop hit, “Sweet Baby.” Firmly rejecting being pigeon-holed, Clarke plays across genres-including performances with rock and roll giants like Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Ronnie Wood. Clarke has worked as a solo artist-placing the bass front and center as the lead instrument, t and releasing a number of successful albums including the epic School Days. Clarke is one of the original members of Return to Forever, a jazz fusion group founded by Chick Corea that has been expanding the sounds of jazz for the past half century. There’s so much to say about Stanley Clarke, it’s hard to know where to begin….he’s played with jazz legends like Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Stan Getz-among others. From the National Endowment for the Arts, this is Art Works, I’m Josephine Reed Jo Reed: You’re listening to 2022 NEA Jazz Master bassist and composer Stanley Clarke accompanied by pianist Ruslan Sirota. “NY” composed and performed by Kosta T, from the album Soul Sand. “La Canción de Sofia” composed by Stanley Clarke, performed by The Stanley Clarke Band, from the album, UpĮxcerpt from Boyz ‘n the Hood, composed by Stanley Clarke “School Days,” composed and performed by Stanley Clarke from the album, School Days. “Hello Again” composed by Stanley Clarke, performed by Return to Forever, from the album, The Best of Return to Forever. “1504 Suite” music and performance by Stanley Clarke and Ruslan Sirota. Return to Forever, Forever, Concord, 2011 The Stanley Clarke Band, Heads Up/Telarc, 2010 Stanley Clarke/George Duke, The Clarke/Duke Project, Epic 1981 He is still actively touring, composing, and recording. To date, Clarke has won three Grammy Awards and one Latin Grammy. In 2016, some of Clarke’s instruments and recordings became a part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC. He is an invited member of the exclusive Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Honors received by Clarke include the Miles Davis Award from the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (2011) for his entire body of work, numerous Downbeat Reader's and Critic's Poll "Best Electric Bass Player" wins, Bass Player Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award, membership in Guitar Player Magazine’s “Gallery of Greats,” and an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Since the 1980s, Clarke has scored for film and television, with more than 75 credits to his name, including the films What’s Love Got To Do with It?, Boyz‘n the Hood, Romeo Must Die, Poetic Justice, and The Transporter. In addition to his innovations with the bass guitar, he also developed instruments such as a piccolo bass guitar and a tenor bass guitar. ![]() 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. In the 1970s, Clarke released a trilogy of successful albums- Stanley Clarke, Journey to Love, and School Days-that cemented his career as a soloist. ![]() With growing notice of Clarke’s remarkable abilities on the bass, he embarked on a solo career, transporting the bass from the back of the stage to the front as the lead instrument. 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. Clarke made his professional debut at age 15, joining saxophonist Byard Lancaster at the Showboat jazz club. He first played the violin and cello before settling on the bass, attending the Settlement Music School, where his focus was on studying classical bass repertoire. As part of his strong belief in giving back, he also established the Stanley Clarke Foundation, a charitable organization which awards scholarships to talented young musicians each year.Ĭlarke grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his mother encouraging him to study music. Return to Forever-Clarke with fellow seminal members Chick Corea, Lenny White, and Al Di Meola-would become one of the most popular jazz bands of its day, pulling fans from the rock world to achieve commercial success. 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. Stanley Clarke’s bass-playing, showing exceptional skill on both acoustic and electric bass, has made him one of the most influential players in modern jazz history.
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