Clarke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having graduated from the Philadelphia Musical Academy, he moved to New York City in 1971 and began working with famous bandleaders and musicians including Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Gil Evans, Stan Getz and Al Di Meola.
Return to Forever
During this period he joined the jazz fusion group Return to Forever led by pianist Chick Corea. The group became one of the most important fusion groups and released several successful and musically highly varied albums. Clarke also started his solo career in the early 1970s and released a number of albums under his own name. His most famous album is School Days (1976), which along with Jaco Pastorius's self-titled debut is held up as one of the greatest bass albums in the history of Jazz Fusion.
His albums Stanley Clarke (1974) and Journey to Love (1975) are also notable.
Style
Clarke's electric bass style is a combination of many factors.
Equipment - Clarke has always been very strongly associated with Alembic basses and the vast majority of his recorded output has been produced with one model of Alembic or another, particularly a dark-wood-colored custom bass in the Series I body style. These basses are handmade neck-through instruments made from a mixture of exotic woods and a proprietary active pickup system that is powered from an external preamplifier. Clarke also utilizes full-range amplification for his basses, more in keeping with a keyboardist's rig than a bassist's or guitarists. As a result, Clarke's tone is full-bodied and woody-sounding, with an organic flavor.
Physical size - Clarke is a slim 6'3" and his Alembic basses tend to be short-scale (in this case, 30-3/4" versus a typical 34"), so in his hands, the Alembic seems almost like a toy. As a result, having large hands and powerful musculature in his arms and hands gives him extra command over the instrument in terms of power, range, and speed. Many of the figures that Clarke plays are very difficult for a smaller bassist to play on a larger bass.
Right-hand technique - The classic Clarke right-hand posture has his fingers approaching the strings much as they would on an upright bass, but rotated through 90 degrees. To achieve this, his forearm lies above and nearly parallel to the strings, while his wrist is hooked downward at nearly a right angle. For lead and solo purposes, his fingers partially hook underneath the strings so that when releases, the strings snap against the frets, producing a biting percussive attack. In addition to an economical variation on the Larry Graham-style pop-n'-slap technique, Clarke also uses downward thrusts of the entire right hand, striking two or more strings from above with his fingernails (examples include "School Days," "Rock and Roll Jelly," "Wild Dog," and "Danger Street").
Stanley Clarke is commonly considered among the most important bassists of the jazz-fusion era (c. 1972-1982).
Animal Logic
He formed Animal Logic with rock drummer Stewart Copeland, after the break-up of The Police, and singer-songwriter Deborah Holland. The trio had success with their first album and world tour but the follow-up sold poorly, and the band did not continue.
Today
He continues to work and has several film scores as well as a string of albums to his name. In 2005 he started the Acoustic Fusion Supergroup TRIO! with Bela Fleck and Jean-Luc Ponty, which toured the Eastern U.S. and played all of the major Jazz Festivals.
In 2006 Clarke reunited with George Duke and toured with him for the first time in fifteen years. The duo formed the Clarke/Duke Project in 1981. They scored a Top 20 hit with "Sweet Baby" and recorded three albums.
Early in 2007, Clarke's own Roxboro Entertainment Group released a DVD entitled Night School: An Evening with Stanley Clarke and Friends (HUDV-7118) through the Heads Up International label. The 90-minute presentation documents the third annual Stanley Clarke Scholarship Concert, recorded at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, in October 2002. The group offers scholarships to students in financial need who excel in music. The Night School DVD scholarship concert features diverse group of musicians that include Stevie Wonder, Wallace Roney, Bela Fleck, Sheila E., Stewart Copeland, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, Wayman Tisdale, Marcus Miller and others. Night School captures performances that range from straight-ahead jazz to full-tilt rock fusion to a twenty-two-piece string ensemble.
Since the 1980s, Clarke has turned much of his energy to television and film scores. He is credited for the scores for the ABC Family Channel series Lincoln Heights as well as composing the theme song for the show. In October 2006, Clarke was honored with Bass Player magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award. Bassists Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten presented the award at a ceremony at New York City's Millennium Broadway Hotel. Stanley who won a Grammy Award in 1975 was the first "Jazzman of the Year" for Rolling Stone magazine, won "Best Bassist" from Playboy magazine for 10 straight years, and is a member of Guitar Player magazine's "Gallery of Greats." He was honored with the Key to the city of Philadelphia. In 2004 he was featured in Los Angeles magazine as one of the 50 most influential people.
BET-J launched a series hosted by Clarke entitled On the Road with Stanley Clarke in June 2006. The series consists of seven episodes titled "Origins of Black Music," "That Philly Sound," "Jazz Beyond the Classroom," "Black Music in Film, Television & Theatre," "Jazz," "Black Music in Film – The Next Generation:" and "Bass to Bass." Some of his guests include Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, George Duke, The Tate Brothers, Gamble and Huff, and academicians Dr. Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje and Dr. Cheryl Keyes from the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA among many others. On the Road with Stanley Clarke episodes were re-broadcast on BET-J in 2007. In 2008, Stanley was presented with a doctorate in fine arts from his alma mater, The University of the Arts. He has three children (Chris and two stepchildren, Natasha and Frank).
Clarke's latest records include The Toys of Men in 2007. This was his first release in five years, on October 17, 2007. The first week of release it went to No.2 on Billboard charts' Contemporary Jazz Chart. The 13-track CD examines the issue of war, and it includes performances by vocalist/bassist Esperanza Spalding, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, percussionist Paulinho da Costa and violinist Mads Tolling. The Toys of Men includes acoustic bass interludes that provide a counterpoint to Clarke's better known electric bass attack. 2009 saw his release of Jazz in the Garden, featuring the Stanley Clarke Trio: with Clarke, pianist Hiromi Uehara, and Lenny White on drums. In 2010, Clarke released the Stanley Clarke Band, with Ruslan Sirota on keyboards and piano and Ronald Bruner, Jr. on drums; the album also features Hiromi on piano (as a guest artist), along with many others. On February 13, the Stanley Clarke Band won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
Instruments
Stanley Clarke is also the first influential bassist to use piccolo bass prominently. (A piccolo bass is a bass guitar, tuned one octave higher - Clarke's are usually short scale (30.75"), four string, Carl Thompson or Alembic.)
Cruisin'
Stanley Clarke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't be confused, the way is clear
And if you want it, you got it forever
This is not a one night stand baby, yeah
So, let the music take your mind
Just release and you will find
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Baby tonight belongs to us
Everything right, do what you must
And inch by inch we grow closer and closer
To every lil' part of each other, ooh baby yeah
So let the music take your mind
Just release and you will find
You're gonna fly away, glad you're goin' my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Cruise with me baby, ooh yeah ooh
Ooh baby, let's cruise, let's float, let's glide
Ooh, let's open up and go inside
And if you want it, you got it forever
I could just stay here beside you and love you baby
Let the music take your mind
Just release and you will find
You're gonna fly away, glad you're goin' my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together
You're gonna fly away, glad you're goin' my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when, I love it, I love it, I love it, ooh
Cruise with me baby, I love it when we're cruisin together
The song "Cruisin'" by Stanley Clarke is a smooth, romantic track that encourages the listener to let go of their worries and just enjoy the moment with their loved one. The song begins with the suggestion to "cruise away" from the present situation and embrace the moment. The idea is reinforced with the promise of a committed relationship rather than a one-night stand. The music is intended to provide a sense of ease and relaxation while allowing the mind to fully engage in the love and romance of the moment.
The second verse deepens the connection between the two individuals, with the suggestion that the night belongs to them and they should do as they please. The use of the phrase "inch by inch we grow closer and closer" indicates a gradual progression toward a deeper level of intimacy. The suggestion to let the music take control and the repetition of the chorus remind the listener that this is a shared experience, meant to be savored together.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cruisin'" encourage the listener to leave their worries behind and take advantage of the opportunity to connect with their partner on a deep level. The music complements this message by providing a smooth sound that draws the listener in and enhances the romantic atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby let's cruise away from here
Let's leave this place and go somewhere else together
Don't be confused, the way is clear
There's no need to be confused because everything is clear and straightforward
And if you want it, you got it forever
If you want to be with me, I am committed to being with you forever
This is not a one night stand baby, yeah
This is not a casual one-night stand, it's much more meaningful than that
So, let the music take your mind
Let the music take over your thoughts and feelings
Just release and you will find
If you just let yourself go, you'll discover new and wonderful things
You're gonna fly away, glad you're goin' my way
You'll feel free and happy when you follow my lead
I love it when we're cruisin' together
I really enjoy being with you and going on these adventures together
Music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
Music is meant to be enjoyed with someone else, just like cruising
Baby tonight belongs to us
We have tonight to ourselves
Everything right, do what you must
We can do whatever feels right and good for us tonight
And inch by inch we grow closer and closer
We are getting closer and closer together in every way possible
To every lil' part of each other, ooh baby yeah
We are exploring and discovering each other's every detail and nuance
Cruise with me baby, ooh yeah ooh
Come with me on this adventure, baby
Ooh baby, let's cruise, let's float, let's glide
Let's enjoy this moment together and relax
Ooh, let's open up and go inside
Let's be honest and vulnerable with each other
I could just stay here beside you and love you baby
I want to stay with you and love you forever
I love it when, I love it, I love it, I love it, ooh
I really, really, really enjoy being with you and going on these adventures together
Cruise with me baby, I love it when we're cruisin together
Come with me on this adventure, baby, I really love being with you
Contributed by Samantha P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.