Stanley Clarke - "School Days" (1976) @320

1976 was an extraordinary year for jazz-rock, and a very fortunate year for the CBS label. Weather Report's Jaco Pastorius released his wonderful debut solo album, Stanley Clarke released 'Schooldays', and his band Return to Forever released their 'Romantic Warrior' masterpiece.

It's useful to compare the two bassists' approaches to solo albums. Pastorius assumed a solo album meant just that: although there would be some numbers in a group setting, there should also be at least a couple of tracks where bass was the only instrument. Clarke didn't quite see things that way: his solo albums were more of an opportunity to front numerous different assemblies of highly accomplished musicians. The only rule, as he saw it, was not to use Lenny White or Al di Meola, or you might as well call the result another Return to Forever album.

Here he employs a fantastic roll-call of the leading drummers of the time: Bill Cobham, Eleventh House's Gerry Brown, and ace session musician Steve Gadd. Corea isn't featured at all, so Clarke himself provides some piano, and Dave Sancious and George Duke provides most of the keyboard fest elsewhere.

The album was Clarke's zenith, and his biggest seller. Sadly there's only one acoustic track here, but the electric tracks, to my ear, haven't dated as badly as those on 'Journey to Love'. Over the course of 25 years I have played it to death, and feel I know every note! But this means I cannot forecast how it will sound to new ears. To me it's still hugely enjoyable.

This art form of jazz fusion was never better than this amazing album. At the height of the movement, Stanley Clarke created a collection of pieces that brought together not only great players, but excellent melodies, muscular arrangements, and a profoundly funky edge that leaves most jazz-rock/fusion eating dust.

Into these six tracks, Clarke packs energy, daring and taste. Supplemented by what can only be called the best players in fusion and rock (Jeff Beck, David Sancious, Billy Cobham and, oh yes, John McLaughlin) Clarke removes the bass from the hands of limited slappers and extends playing technique that despite what some may think, is still the gold standard.

Some may compare Stanley Clarke to his putative rival Jaco Pastorius, but while Jaco was a great player, no mistake, Clarke is a great musical mind. The sweep of this music, the careful, but not constricted orchestration, the attention to detail all propel Stanley Clarke to the head of the class.



This album captures what was great about the best Jazz fusion, and indeed of the best of rock music of this time: the sense of limitless ecstatic exploration.

Widely considered one of the two essential jazz bass guitar records (the other being Jaco Pastorious' eponymous debut record, also released in 1976), "School Days" finds virtuoso Stanley Clarke providing a good indication of what he's made of. Supported by a fine ensemble (usually Raymond Gomez on guitar, David Sancious on keys and either Gerry Brown or Steve Gadd on drums), Clarke creates a record that is very much a funk bass call to arms. And certainly as a bassist, I find myself, even years after I've first heard this one, picking my jaw up off the ground (listening to the first 30 seconds of closer "Life is Just a Game" will do that to you).

One thing immediately noticable about the record is that it's startling diverse, sliding easily from loping funk ("School Days") to slithering synths ("Quiet Afternoon"), old school horn-driven funk jazz ("Life is Just a Game") and even a slice of acoustic calm in the midst of the storm ("Desert Song", featuring Clarke on an upright and guitarist John McLaughlin on acoustic guitar). Throughout, the playing is top notch and it maintains itself as engaging.

Stanley Clarke

Track listing:

1. "School Days" – 7:51
2. "Quiet Afternoon" – 5:09
3. "The Dancer" – 5:27
4. "Desert Song" – 6:56
5. "Hot Fun" – 2:55
6. "Life Is Just A Game" – 9:00

Personnel:

* Stanley Clarke - electric bass guitar, acoustic bass, piccolo bass guitar, acoustic piano, vocals, handbells, gong, chimes, humming, producer, composer
* Raymond Gomez - electric guitar on "School Days", "The Dancer", "Hot Fun"
* John McLaughlin - acoustic guitar on "Desert Song"
* Icarus Johnson - electric and acoustic guitars on "Life Is Just A Game"
* David Sancious - keyboards, mini-moog synthesiser, organ on tracks 1-3, electric guitar on track 5
* George Duke - keyboards on "Life Is Just A Game"
* Milt Holland - percussion, congas, triangle on "The Dancer" and "Desert Song"
* Steve Gadd - drums on "Quiet Afternoon" and "Hot Fun"
* Billy Cobham - drums, moog 1500 on "Life Is Just A Game"
* Gerry Brown - drums, handbells on "School Days" and "The Dancer"
* String Section:

David Campbell, Dennis Karmazyn, Lya Stern, Thomas Buffum, Janice Adele Gower, Marcia Van Dyke, Karen Jones, Robert Dubow, Ronald Strauss, Rollice Dale, Gordon Marron, John Wittenberg, Marilyn Baker

* Brass Section:

Jack Nimitz, Buddy Childers, Lew McCreary, Dalton Smith, Robert Findley, Gary Grant, George Bohanon, William Peterson, Stuart Blumberg, Albert Aarons

*Includes full cover and booklet scan*

Related items:

Stanley Clarke - "Stanley Clarke" (1974)

Stanley Clarke - Live 1976 - 1977 (1991)

Stan Getz - "Captain Marvel" (1972)

Tony Williams - 'Joy of Flying' (1979)

Return To Forever - "No Mystery" (1975)

Vertú - "Vertú" (1999)

Santana - "Borboletta" (1974)

Return To Forever - "Where Have I Known You Before" (1974)

Deodato - "Prelude" (1972) [Remastered]

Al Di Meola - "Land Of The Midnight Sun" (1976)

Return To Forever - "The Anthology" (2008)

Chick Corea - "Compact Jazz" (1987)

John Mclaughlin - 'Electric Guitarist' (1978)

Fuse One - 'The Complete Recordings' (1989) [1995]

Enjoy!
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