[1] Minute by Minute (L.Abrams) - 3:25
[2] Stratus (B.Cobham) - 9:42
[3] Buenos Aires (Najee/M.Pleasure) - 5:12
[4] All Blues (M.Davis) - 14:02
[5] Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Ch.Mingus) - 10:06
[6] Her Favorite Song (L.Carlton) - 7:42
[7] School Days (S.Clarke) - 21:33
1994 CD Sony 476602
1994 CS Sony 57506
1994 CD Epic 57506
More than any other genre, jazz seems best suited for the live
environment. An artist can improvise in the studio, certainly, but in
concert a musician can ignore time limits and stretch creative
possibilities. This is especially true of all-star collaborations; they
can seem contrived or forced, but when chemistry exists between the
players, the result is jazz in its purest, most exciting form. Such is
the case on this disc, which features five contemporary giants: Clarke,
Larry Carlton, Najee, Deron Johnson, and Billy Cobham. Seventy minutes
for seven songs allows the players to interact and solo at length,
stretching originals and Miles and Mingus covers to their limit. While
each member is a monster improvisor, all base their musings on a
definite wave of melodic brilliance. Najee is the real surprise here,
as Clarke says in his liner notes. While the others are respected as
top fusion cats, the saxman has always faced criticism for the
commercialism of his albums; here, Najee proves he can blow with the
best of them, getting the energy flowing on tracks like his own "Buenos
Aires." Other highlights include the light intro "Minute By Minute,"
which L.C. popularized as an instrumental; Cobham's explosive
"Stratus"; Carlton's simmering "Her Favorite Song"; and the final
piece, an increasingly frenetic, 22-minute explosion of Clarke's
classic "School Days."
Jonathan Widran - All-MUsic Guide
Bassist Stanley Clarke heads a quintet consisting of guitarist Larry
Carlton, saxophonist Najee, keyboardist Deron Johnson and drummer Billy
Cobham on this rock-oriented live set. There are some worthwhile solos
with Najee being in fine form (his flute on "All Blues" and Ernie
Watts-influenced tenor are enjoyable) and Larry Carlton's passionate
solos keep the music from getting too mundane. Their version of "School
Days" is way too long and the music does get a bit bombastic at times
but listeners with an open mind towards fusion will want to acquire
this all-star CD.
Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide
Live ist Stanley Clarke einfach am besten. Der Bassist läßt
seine E-Baß-Gitarre und seinen elektrifizierten Kontrabaß
so vehement tosen, daß sie sofort die Gehörgänge
besetzen. Dabei hat das Baß-Genie mit Schlagzeuger Billy Cobham,
dem Ex-Crusaders-Gitarristen Larry Carlton, Saxophonist Nejee und
Keyboarder Deron Johnson seine erstklassige Band um sich geschart. Beim
All Blues, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, einer 21minütigen School
Days-Orgie und vier weiteren Nummern zeigen sich die fünf Musiker
von ihrer besten Seite.
W. Stiefele in Audio 9/94
Der Mann aus Philadelphia zählt zu den hellsten Sternen am
E-Bassisten-Himmel. Mit Chick Corea gründete Stanley Clarke die
berühmten Return To Forever, auch solistisch war er sehr
erfolgreich - siehe das Album "Shool Days", dessen Titelsong seither
sein Markenzeichen ist. Er tourte mit Gott und der Welt, um sich Mitte
der 80er Jahre einer Karriere als Produzent und Arrangeur zuzuwenden.
Doch jetzt meldet sich der 43jährige mit einem kraftvollen
Statement zurück. "Live At The Greek" knüpft direkt dort an,
wo die alten Erfolge aufhörten. Schon die ersten 30 Sekunden
zeigen es: Das ist Jazzrock vom Allerfeinsten. Gemeinsam mit seinem
alten Drummer-Freund Billy Cobham läßt Clarke keinen
Zweifel: Mit ihm und der Musik der 70er Jahre muß man wieder
rechnen. Larry Carlton steuert quicklebendige Gitarrenläufe bei,
Deron Johnson paßt sich mit seinen Keyboards perfekt ein, und
Studio-Pustefix Najee hat umjubelte Auftritte. Als nach drei Titeln die
Stimmung im Greek Theatre auf dem Höhepunkt ist, gibt es eine
Überraschung: Mit rundem Ton horcht Clarke in Miles Davis' "All
Blues" hinein. Und weil es gerade so gut paßt, schiebt er gleich
Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" - eine Herausforderung für
jeden Bassisten - hinterher. Krönendes Finale ist natürlich
"School Days", wo alle Musiker noch einmal zu Hochform auflaufen. Diese
CD muß man laut hören, dann ist die Freude besonders
groß.
More than any other genre, jazz seems best suited for the live
environment. An artist can improvise in the studio, certainly, but only
in a concert setting can a musician ignore time limits and stretch as
creatively as possible. Imagine the possibilities, then, when all-stars
get together. Sometimes these meetings seem contrived or forced, but
when chemistry exists between the players, the result is jazz in its
purest, most exciting form. Such is the case on this disc, which
features five definite contemporary giants--Clarke, Larry Carlton,
Najee, Deron Johnson and Billy Cobham. Seventy minutes for seven songs
allows these players to interact and solo at length, stretching
originals and Miles and Mingus covers to their limit, in ways no fan of
any of these five has ever heard before. But the real secret to the
success of this unrestrained project is that while each member is a
monster improvisor, all base their musings on a definite wave of
melodic brilliance. Najee is the real surprise here, as Clarke says in
his liner notes. While the others have achieved great critical respect
as top fusion cats, the saxman has always faced criticism for albums
which are so strictly commercial and don't display enough artistic
value. But here, Najee proves he can blow with the best of them, and he
gets the energy flowing on tracks like his own "Buenos Aires". Other
highlights are the light intro piece "Minute By Minute, " which L.C.
has popularized as an instrumental; Cobham's explosive "Stratus";
Carlton's simmering "Her Favorite Song"; and the final piece, a
twisting and increasingly frenetic, 22-minute explosion of Clarke's
classic "School Days". I attended the concert which is recorded here,
and I have to say that the lengthy stretches between melodic patches
was slightly more inviting in the live setting. But it's still an
exciting disc, the next best thing to being there for fans of any of
these artists. If you're looking for something light and simple, "Live"
may not be the ticket; but anyone who appreciates the art form at its
best will find innumerable pleasures.