STANLEY CLARKE TRIO with Hiromi & Lenny White
Jazz In the Garden

Heads Up

Stanley Clarke has long been known as one of the greatest jazz bassists to come along in some time, and it would seen that there’s nothing left for him to prove, musically, so revered is his work by musicians in general, and bassists in particular. Hard, then, to believe that this innovative master has never recorded a full album of acoustic bass work with a jazz piano trio.

Now, in the wake of a tour with the reunited Return to Forever, one of his most exciting fusion recordings in years (Toys of Men), and collaboration with fellow bassists who he has influenced (Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten) Clarke has decided that the time for such an album is now. Furthermore, he has chosen to collaborate with drummer Lenny White, his cohort in RTF with a primarily fusion-oriented history and wunderkind pianist Hiromi Uehara, herself no stranger to influences both eclectic and electric in her brief but already wide body of work. The resulting album, Jazz In the Garden, is one of the year’s best jazz recordings, one that contains both the comforting familiarity of old friends and the adventurousness of new discoveries.

The disc opens with Clarke’s composition “Paradigm Shift (Election Day 2008)” which starts with a frenzied figure that calls to mind people scurrying about, perhaps on their way to the polls. The piece soon settles into a light bossa-style rhythm against which Hiromi’s solo swings between Herbie Hancock-style impressionism and the more roiling, searching right hand dexterity of Chick Corea. There’s no bombast here, indicative of the thoughtful, lyrical nature of this band, but neither is there any room for boredom. White keeps the drums behind Clarke and Hiromi, but he’s not afraid to break the surface with some cross-rhythmic figures. As for Stanley, his solo is moody, utilizing some percussive slapping along with his usual dexterous lines. “Sakura Sakura” is based on a traditional Japanese folk song, and Stanley opens with the melodic line gorgeously played, calling to mind the koto, then breaks into the slinky rhythmic line that provides the rest of the arrangement’s backbone. Hiromi’s solo here is simple and elegant, reminiscent of the song’s Japanese heritage, yet completely jazzy.

Hiromi’s composition “Sicilian Blue” provides an opportunity for Clarke to state the sumptuous melody con arco, demonstrating his complete mastery of the double bass. The piece slips into a familiar bossa lope, and Hiromi provides some cloud cover chord clusters before embarking on a solo that is light and deft as a hummingbird. Clarke’s ending statement is similarly light. The pianist’s “Brain Training” is a completely different ballgame, a boppish, swinging number with a slight tag. The trio swings here as though they’ve been playing together for years. Similar in feel is Clarke’s “3 Wrong Notes,” which has a Monkish feel.

There’s the obligatory Clarke bass solo piece, “Bass Folk Song No. 5&6,” which provides a nice break from the trio format as well as confirming the sheer beauty with which Clarke can create music all by himself. Also interesting is “Global Tweak,” an improvised duet between Clarke and Hiromi that shows just how well musicians can play together when they are listening to each other, regardless of age or cultural differences.

The remaining tracks include a trio of jazz standards—“Take the Coltrane,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and “Solar”—all played beautifully by this incredible trio. The outliers include Joe Henderson’s “Isotope,” a modern piece that allows Hiromi to venture a bit ‘outside’ in her solo, and a cover of the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Under the Bridge,” here given an arrangement that flows freely between 4/4 and 7/4, with both Clarke and Hiromi taking the melodic statement at various times.

Jazz in the Garden is a major piece of work for Clarke, White, and Hiromi, and stands up well next to all three players’ discographies. It’s a must have for piano trio fans.