New Album ‘The Message’ To Be Released June 29th
Stanley Clarke is enjoying life right now. Or that’s the way it seems from the emboldened sounds of his latest album. Using his position as one of jazz’s senior figures, his young band includes phenomenal pianists Cameron Graves and Beka Gochiashvili, and drummer Mike Mitchell, who’s name you might recognise from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Ensemble. Backed by this versatile band, The Message (available via Mack Avenue Records) comprises a collection of tunes written in the midst of a tumultuous tour of Europe. It wields a mix of fusion and funk, breakbeats and cello suites with a little help from rapper Doug E. Fresh and trumpeter Mark Isham. “I’m very excited about our work on this album,” says Stanley. “I wanted to include some of my band members’ contributions and the result is an album that is funky, melodic, musical, contemporary and fresh with a rich multi-genre influence. The guys in this band are consummate young musicians with musical spirits that are very old.” www.stanleyclarke.com
