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Stanley Clarke: The Toys of Men

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Heads Up International
Released: 2007.10.16
Time:
 58:22
Category: Jazz
Producer(s): Stanley Clarke
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.stanleyclarke.com
Appears with: Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty
Purchase date: 2008.02.22
Price in €: 16,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] The Toys of Men (S.Clarke) - 11:14
[2] Come On (R.Bruner/S.Clarke/R.Sirota/M.Tolling) - 2:59
[3] Jerusalem (R.Sirota) - 6:13
[4] Back in the Woods (S.Clarke) - 1:24
[5] All Over Again (S.Clarke/E.Spalding) - 5:04
[6] Hmm Hmm (S.Clarke) - 1:53
[7] Bad Asses (S.Clarke) - 5:04
[8] Game (S.Clarke) - 3:18
[9] La Cancion de Sofia (S.Clarke) - 3:07
[10] El Bajo Negro (S.Clarke) - 7:45
[11] Broski (S.Clarke) - 1:56
[12] Châteauvallon 1972 (S.Clarke) - 5:25
[13] Bass Folk Song No. 6 (S.Clarke) - 2:52

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Stanley Clarke - Electric-  Acoustic- Piccolo- & Tenor Bass, Programming, Producer, Engineer, Spoken Word

Ruslan Sirota - Keyboards, Acoustic Piano
Mads Tolling - Violin
Jef Lee Johnson - Guitar
Ronald Brunner Jr. - Drums
Phil Davis - Keyboards on [8],[9]
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion on [9]
Michael Landau - Acoustic & Electric Guitar
Tomer Shtein - Additionla Acoustic Guitar on [1]
Esperanza Spalding - Vocals on Part 5 of [1], [5]

Gerry "The Gov" Brown - Engineer
Ed Thacker - Engineer
Chris Papastaphanou - Engineer
Dave Love - Executive Producer
Bernie Grundman - Mastering
Armando Carlos - Cover Photo
Jaimee Itagaki - Photography
Alisa Chompupong - Stylist
Kiyoshi Grave - Catering
Robert Hoffman - Design


 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2007 CD Heads Up Intl. 3128

Bassist/composer Stanley Clarke was around at fusion's inception, playing with Chick Corea, George Duke, and many others. While other performers might have muddied fusion's waters with overindulgence and blandness, Clarke's TOYS OF MEN proves that it's still very much a viable musical route. Throughout, there's a balance of acoustic and electric instrumentation (Clarke even plays an acoustic bass guitar on some tracks), as well as moods both contemplative ("Back In The Woods") and darkly funky ("Game"). The six-part "Toys Of Men" even reflects some 1970's prog-rock influence. Old fans of fusion will likely be pleased with TOYS and fusion/jam band newbies should check it out as well.



"[T]he album presents a varied menu, complete with fantastic electric and acoustic bass solos, all against a surprisingly textural backdrop."

Down Beat (p.80) - 3 stars out of 5



"[H]e stretches his fabled chops to another level....Clarke's signature slap technique comes to the fore on funky vehicles like the super-charged 'Come On'..."

JazzTimes (p.93)



It's unfortunate that it took the sad state of international political affairs of the early 21st century to lure Stanley Clarke back to the intense brand of jazz bass playing he pioneered with Return to Forever in the 1970s, but that's what The Toys of Men is all about. Clarke has spent much of the last couple of decades outside of the realm of jazz, scoring films and television programs, but he has said that his disdain for the very idea of war, and specifically the constant state of war in the Middle East, inspired him to put together a fired-up band and make an antiwar statement with this album. Whether he accomplishes that goal is debatable: only one track here, "The Opening of the Gates," contains a sung vocal, by Esperanza Spalding, and the only other voice heard on the recording is the spoken word of Clarke himself. But whether or not instruments can by themselves make the point that violence and destruction do not exactly offer much hope for the future, the music created here is easily Clarke's most dynamic and potent in a long, long time. The set opens with a six-part suite that also lends its name, "The Toys of Men," to the album itself. Those toys, Clarke has said, are weapons, and he disdains mankind's insistence on using them to kill one another. But the toys of choice for this ambitious, sweeping piece of music are musical instruments, and Clarke and his troops slash and burn in a way that often recalls the early fusion of Return to Forever. Working with a core band that includes drummer Ronald Brumer, Jr., guitarists Jef Lee Johnson and Tomer Shtein, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, and violinist Mads Tolling, Clarke uses the opening collection of connected themes to take off from an earlier song called "Toys" that he recorded with drummer (and former RTF member) Lenny White in a project they called Vertú. The titles of the second and third sections, "Fear" and "Chaos," offer the most obvious clues as to what Clarke is trying to say, although, ironically, "Chaos" is one of the calmer and more luxuriant pieces on the record - "Fear," meanwhile, lives up to its name, all blistering fusionoid jamming. Clarke takes plenty of opportunities throughout the record to exercise his trademark slapping bass chops, among them a minimal, bluesy solo on the two-minute "Hmm Hmm" and the rambling, adventurous, seven-plus-minute "El Bajo Negro." Other highlights include "Châteauvallon 1972," a steady-rolling slab o' funk dedicated to the late, great drummer Tony Williams, and "Jerusalem," an airy, swaying, acoustic-based epic whose peacefulness direct contrasts with the tension and restlessness that rock the region in which that historical city sits.

Jeff Tamarkin - All Music Guide



It has been somewhat of a frustrating run for fans of uber-bassist Stanley Clarke's legendary, genre-defining '70s work. After establishing himself as the world's premier four-string jazz-rock maestro with his work in Return to Forever and solo albums such as School Days, Clarke altered his focus by churning out middling commercial funk pop and soundtracks. They diluted his status as a talented musician whose fleet-fingered style and elaborate picking technique influenced a generation of bass players. But he's back now, with an anti-war-propelled set that is an encouraging and convincing return to form. The opening 11-minute, six-part suite, featuring fiery fiddle from the intriguingly named Mads Tolling, sounds like prime-era Mahavishnu Orchestra, and also highlights Clarke's frantic yet precise staccato technique on his instrument. It alone is worth the price of this disc, but the remaining dozen tracks emphasize Clarke's intentions to prove he's never lost his touch. He shifts between acoustic and electric settings, inserting stark solo and duo interludes that spotlight his prodigious talent between longer work-outs with his tight group. "Bad Asses," where he is accompanied only by drums, sizzles with thumb-numbing, lightning-hot funk and "Chateauvallon 1972 (Dedicated to Tony Williams)" finds Clarke in fusion territory again working a sizzling, dramatic slow riff as powerful and vital as anything he has done in decades. Long-time admirers now have an album that indisputably proves Stanley Clarke hasn't lost a step as the foremost bass player of his generation.

Hal Horowitz - Amazon.com



Stanley Clarke, einer der wohl innovativsten und technisch brillantesten Bassisten der letzten 35 Jahre, startet nach einer längern Pause wieder zu einer Reise durch sein unverwechselbares Klanguniversum. Auf seinem neuen Album reflektiert er nicht nur die Komplexität seiner bis ins Detail perfektionierten Slaptechnik und seiner noch gewachsenen Virtuosität, sondern auch seine musikalisch-emotionale Auseinandersetzung mit dem militaristischen Waffengeklirre unserer Tage. Mit Keyboarder und Pianist Ruslan Sirota, Violinist Mads Tolling, Gitarrist Jef Lee Johnson und Drummer Roland Bruner, Jr. kann Clarke auf eine grandiose Begleitcrew zurückgreifen, die dennoch nicht in Ehrfurcht erstarren. Mit Stücken wie 'Back In The Wood', 'Broski' und dem im Flamenco-Stil gehaltenen 'El Bajo Negro', bietet Stanley Clarke mit seinem Akustik-Bass Momente der Kontemplation, bevor er sich mit kräftigem Daumenschlag in die Saiten seiner elektrifizierten Bass-Gitarre klassisch-knorrigem Fusion-Klang hingibt. 'Bad Asses' und das funkige 'Game' zeigen hingegen einen Stanley Clarke, wie man ihn von seiner Zeit mit George Duke kennt. Den eher romantischen, bisweilen sogar melancholischen Musiker und Mensch Clarke, kehrt er im R&B-Song 'All Over Again' heraus, in dem Esperanza Spalding mit einem an Norah Jones erinnernden Gesang brilliert. The Toys Of Men ist punkto Eingängigkeit, stilistischer und spielerischer Vielseitigkeit ein weiterer Meilenstein im Wirken von Stanley Clarke, dessen frappierende Basstechnik immer wieder überzeugt.

Amazon.de



Revives the spirit of Mahavishnu and Return To Forever combined...rattling good fun.

Andy Robson (4 stars)
Jazzwise, November 2007



Bassist Stanley Clarke was barely out of his teens when he exploded into the jazz world in 1971. Fresh out of music school, he arrived in New York City and immediately landed jobs with famous bandleaders such as Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Pharaoh Saunders, Gil Evans, Stan Getz and Chick Corea (with whom he formed the pioneering fusion band, Return To Forever). All of these musicians recognized Clarke's ferocious dexterity and complete musicality on the acoustic bass. Following his ground-breaking 1975 solo album, `School Days' Clarke went on to become the first bassist in history to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and craft albums that achieved gold status. He was also the first bassist to double on acoustic and electric bass with equal virtuosity and fire. Clarke follows his 2006 DVD 'Night School' with the release of `The Toys of Men', a 13-track CD that examines the emotional sweep of war, and features guest appearances by vocalist/bassist Esperanza Spalding and percussionist Paulinho da Costa. `The Toys of Men' also includes acoustic bass interludes that provide a stirring counterpoint to Clarke's more well known fiery electric bass attack.

Amazon.co.uk
 

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