The Stanley Clarke Band Plays it Happy on “Up”

The Stanley Clarke Band: UpJazz instrumentalists have the luxury of playing music all over the emotional scale, says superstar jazz bassist Stanley Clarke. That might mean pieces that are way up, way down, or esoteric.

You would be right if you guessed that his latest album with The Stanley Clarke Band, Up, is on the cheerier end of that scale. Why did he go that route with the record? Simple, says the four-time Grammy winner. “I haven’t done one of those in a long time.”

All the sessions for the record were fun, as that he made it with his friends. Guest artists include drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police, guitarist Joe Walsh, teen drummer Mike Mitchell, Chick Corea on acoustic piano, Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, and a host of other famed musicians.

The record includes plenty of new music, as well as a re-recording of Clarke’s “School Days” from 1975 which features the track’s original drummer Gerry Brown.

Check out how the album was made:

Up is available on CD and for digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Up Track List:

  1. Pop Virgil
  2. Last Train to Sanity
  3. Up
  4. Brazilian Love Affair (Dedicated to George Duke)
  5. Bass Folk Song #13: Mingus
  6. I Have Something to Tell You Tonight
  7. Trust (Dedicated to Nana)
  8. Bass Folk Song #7: Tradition
  9. Gotham City
  10. Bass Folk Song #14: Dance of the Giant Hummingbird/Bass Folk Song #15: Eleuthera Island
  11. School Days
  12. La Canción de Sofia

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  1. THE bass player of all bass players! bow to your master. stan is the man!

  2. Looking forward to hearing this. Stanley gas been an influence since I got” I wanna play with you” back in the 70’s……always great music out of Stanleys mind….always a challenge to learn!