Stanley Clarke Archives

Back in October, Stanley Clarke teased a new “Stratocaster” bass concept he was working on. That story was the third most viewed story on No Treble all year. But that wasn’t it for Stanley. He also released a new album in June, and more.

On July 9, 1980, Stanley Clarke hit the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival along with Simon Philips on drums, Charles Johnson on guitar, and Steve Bach on keys. And the performance was epic. Here’s the complete show:

In a new interview with Bass Guitar Magazine’s Joel McIver, bass legend Stanley Clarke revealed he’s working with Fender on a new four-string bass based on the Stratocaster guitar. The bass was designed with Clarke’s longtime collaborator Thomas Lieber, who builds his Spellbinder instruments. As it takes its cues from the Strat, they took it to Fender. Clarke is well...

After releasing his new album, The Message, earlier this year, Stanley Clarke is taking his band on the road for a jam-packed couple of months. The Stanley Clarke Band will kick September off at the Rimouski International Jazz Festival in Quebec before heading back the U.S. to cover the East Coast. After a six-night residency at the Blue Note in...

The Stanley Clarke Band has returned with a new album entitled The Message, which follows up their 2010 self-titled album. It also marks 45 years since the bass master’s debut solo album. The band lineup has changed since the previous album, but Clarke has kept the stable of Cameron Graves, Beka Gochiashvili, and Mike Mitchell for several years now. “I’m...

In celebration of Stanley Clarke’s today, we’re sharing this clip of Stanley and his band going back in time with this performance of Chick Corea’s “Beyond the Seventh Galaxy.” Happy birthday, Mr. Clarke!

45 years after his debut album as a leader, Stanley Clarke has announced his next release. The Message will feature the bass master alongside his longtime touring band of young innovators – Cameron Graves, Beka Gochiashvili, and Mike Mitchell – as well as several special guests like rapper Doug E. Fresh and trumpeter Mark Isham. Clarke collaborated with each of...

We were sad to hear of the passing of legendary drummer Ndugu Chancler. While he is best known as the drummer for Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” his career was marked with tons of great jazz, fusion, and funk grooves. Here’s a display of some his jazz chops with pianist Patrice Rushen and bassist Stanley Clarke on the jazz standard “Oleo”....

Funk master Bootsy Collins has returned with World Wide Funk, a star-studded album with guest artists ranging from Chuck D. to Dennis Chambers to Buckethead. It’s the former James Brown bassist’s first album in six years. Like any good funk album, World Wide Funk has some killer bass thanks to Collins himself as well as guests Victor Wooten, Stanley Clarke,...

Bassists will be getting their due in a new documentary called Beneath The Bassline. Directed by Nick Wells, the film features loads of interview time with some of the greatest bass players in the world. Wells traveled to Fodera Guitars, Sadowsky Guitars, and Aguilar Amplification in New York to get the scoop on gear and meet up with bassists Will...