Clarke-Miller-Wooten show recap..BadASS Bass [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Hyfi
08-20-2008, 04:45 AM
For those who can’t imagine how three of the world’s best Bass players could coexist together on stage, think of California Guitar Trio on steroids and Bass.

First up, Stanley Clarke put Bass on the map back in the early 70s and setting the stage for folks like Wooten. Secondly, Marcus Miller has been around the block and played on over 400 different recordings as well as produced some of the best music including Miles Davis Tutu album. I guess Wooten needs no intro in today’s world. If you don’t know who he is, you don’t listen to bass.

The Keswick was once again sold out for this show. I was able to get tickets up front in row C this time and had Clarke right in front of me the whole show. Victor played stage right while Miller picked up center stage playing several basses and two different saxophones. The rest of the band consisted of drums and keyboards and were nobody I had heard of but fit in and played quite well.

So, after sneaking in an opening act of a Singer Songwriter, Jasmine Kelly, who kinda thought she was Tuck & Patty rolled up and a brief intermission the show got started at 9pm.

I can’t list all the tunes played since I am not fully familiar with the new disk just out called Thunder. But, Thunder it was at times. Clarke’s higher pitched beautiful bass was played as rhythm and lead. Miller played a few different Fenders and kicked in the pluck-slap funky bottom he is so well known for. Victor, well he was Victor if anyone has ever seen him play. Together they produced a most incredible sound without stepping all over each other yet all three going full out at the same time. They all took appropriate turns soloing or dueling basses, sometimes 2 and sometimes all three.

Near the end, Clarke grabbed his huge Upright Bass and proceeded to do what no other human can do with an acoustic bass. I think he actually blew a speaker in one of the PA racks near me with some of his low notes since about halfway through one of his extraordinary solos, distortion arose. Luckily when he switched back to his electric bass, that box was no longer a problem.

I saw Clarke a few years ago at the Camden Waterfront but sorta forgot just how good he still is. I saw Wooten a few months back and thought nobody could do it better. Well, Stanley can match Victor note for note and then some. Stanley likes to throw riffs from other songs in new material so at times you heard a lick from Rite of Strings while he played upright and some lines from Return to Forever as well as a few bars from tracks off of School Days. They also played Tutu with Marcus playing the longest sax I ever saw, with such a great groove.

I could go on and on but knowing most could care less about bass, I’ll wrap this up. They played for a solid hour and a half and finished with an encore of the most fantastic 10 minute version of Clarke’s School Days allowing for each bassist to jam out on Stanley’s awesome anthem.

Too bad if you like bass and missed this show!
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bobsticks
08-20-2008, 08:47 AM
Great review Hyfi. You really can't go wrong with any of those cats, much less all of 'em...although, to me, Marcus having played on "TuTu" is not necessarily a point of recommendation.

Gracias amigo. I suspect I'll be spending part of the afternoon with Stanley Clarke. Good stuff.

Hyfi
08-20-2008, 01:47 PM
Great review Hyfi. You really can't go wrong with any of those cats, much less all of 'em...although, to me, Marcus having played on "TuTu" is not necessarily a point of recommendation.

Gracias amigo. I suspect I'll be spending part of the afternoon with Stanley Clarke. Good stuff.

Check out Stanley's website. You can listen to several tracks from various albums from this page starting off with the title track from Thunder.

3-LockBox
08-20-2008, 05:05 PM
I wouldn't have thought I'd be interested, but the song you posted is highly listenable. And I do like the bass, especially in a jazz instrumental context. Most rock bass solos however, bore me to tears. This is very do-able and it musta been killer to see in person.

Good review, as always.