Stanley Clarke: 1 2 To the Bass (2003)

Stanley Clarke is without doubt a phenomenally talented bassist but has not done much to showcase this ability on his own recordings since the late '70s. You can chalk that up mostly to Clarke's propensity for trite, pop-oriented material that does little to illuminate his great technical command of the instrument or to engage the listener either melodically or lyrically. 1, 2, to the Bass is a step in the right direction with a more jazz-oriented feel and some interesting guest appearances. Rapper Q-Tip gets things off to a nice start on the title track which reimagines '90s hip-hop jazz as "quiet storm" R&B. "Simply Said" is reminiscent of Sting's more fusion-style originals with flutist Hubert Laws on a nice melodic hook. There is also an inspired reworking of the R&B classic "Where Is the Love" featuring Glenn Lewis and Amel Larrieux. Later on, if "Los Caballos (The Horses)" sounds a little too much like Madonna's "Borderline," and Oprah Winfrey's reading of Maya Angelou's "I Shall Not Be Moved" seems a bit out of place on an album that includes a song titled "Just Cruzin'," there's at least the "Rock It"-styled electro-disco-funk of "Bout the Bass." And don't forget the monstrous "freak" funk cover of "Hair" that almost redeems everything guitarist Joe Satriani has ever done. Perhaps not the exhilarating breakthrough one would hope, 1, 2, to the Bass is nonetheless a very exciting return to form. - AMG

Tracklist:
1  1, 2, To the Bass - Clarke, McKinley, Q-Tip (Fareed 5:55
2  Simply Said - Clarke 4:34
3  Where Is the Love? - MacDonald, Salter 4:06
4  Anna (She Loves the Good Life) - Clarke 5:01
5  Los Callabos (The Horses) - Clarke 4:41
6  Just Cruizin' (En Hommage - Wes Montgomery/George Benson/Pat Martino) - Clarke 4:26
7  'Bout the Bass - Clarke, McKinley 7:32
8  Hair - Graham 5:14
9  Touch - Clarke 6:04
10  All the Children/Todos los Ninos - Clarke 4:56
11  I Shall Not Be Moved - Angelou 6:37
12  Shanti Peace Paz - Clarke, Subramaniam 5:53
1 2 to the Bass
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Patrice Rushen: Prelusion (1974) + Before the Dawn (1975)

The lineup features the top jazz/fusion artists at the time (Bob James, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, George Benson and other fusion heavyweights) so it has a mix of R&B, funk and jazz. The disco-funk songs are bearable but the most of the lyrics lower them down to the level of mindless, shake-yo-booty type grooves. The instrumental cuts and level of top-notch musicianship are what keeps this album from becoming just another pop-jazz outing that I would have given only two stars.
But I'll still give this album four stars simply because "What's Goin' On". This one cut alone is worth a extra star. This version features the same tight rhythm section featured on George Benson's "Breezin'" and "In Flight" albums. Although the song is supposed to be a somber tune, Harvey Mason's arrangement turns into an upbeat, finger-snapping joy. Harvey is kind enough to let George and Jorge do their thing while he sits back and keeps a solid groove going. I dare say that this song was probably intended for a George Benson album but was dropped for some reason or another. Regardless, this is the best remake of the old Marvin Gaye classic.
In any case; it's certainly worth checking out. -- (Amazon.com)
Tracklist:
01. Shortie's Portion (8:42)
02. 7/73 (12:32)
03. Haw-Right Now (8:00)
04. Traverse (10:53)
05. Kickin' Back (7:35)
06. What's The Story (5:15)
07. Jubilation (5:58)
08. Before The Dawn (8:18)
09. Razzia (9:41)
Personnel:
Patrice Rushen - keyboards, tambourine, cabasa
Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
George Bohanon - trombone
Oscar Brashear - trumpet, flugelhorn
Hubert Laws - flute
Hadley Caliman - flute, alto flute, soprano saxophone
Lee Ritenour - guitar
Charles Meeks & Tony Dumas - bass
Harvey Mason & Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums
Nate Alfred & Kenneth Nash - percussion
Josie James - vocals on What's The Story
Prelusion / Before the Dawn
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