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| Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 1 |
| Mike Clark |
| első megjelenés éve: 2009 |
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| (2009)
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CD |
| 4.100 Ft
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| 1. | In the House
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| 2. | Like That
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| 3. | 10th Ave. 1957
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| 4. | Past Lives
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| 5. | Thanks Len
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| 6. | Loft Funk
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| 7. | Clark Kent
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| 8. | Conchita's Dance
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| 9. | Morning Became Electra
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| 10. | I Want to Talk About You
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Jazz
Mike Clark - Drums, Liner Notes
Christian McBride - Bass
Donald Harrison - Sax (Alto)
Jed Levy - Sax (Tenor)
Patrice Rushen - Piano
* Bernie Grundman - Mastering
* Justin Lieberman - Mixing
* Paul MacD Ruxton - Art Direction, Design
* Pete Krawiec - Engineer
Drummer Mike Clark has run the gamut of grist-of-the-mill modern jazz and funk on a handful of recordings, best represented on his 1989 Stash CD, Give the Drummer Some. This album exceeds all his previous dates with regard to the vitality of this music, the high-level musicianship of all the players, and the fact that Clark happily wears his influences on his sleeve. You hear clear references to Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones in his playing, while stylistically Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw come to mind. The result is retro hard bop made current by the ferocious playing of the band, which includes alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, trumpeter Christian Scott, and bassist Christian McBride. Earning high honors are tenor saxophonist and composer Jed Levy and especially pianist Patrice Rushen, who emerges from the shadows of her commercially oriented life to provide a truly stellar, inspired, and driven performance on acoustic piano. The CD kicks off with two outstanding pieces, both penned by Levy, and never lets up until the end. "In the House" is hard bop personified à la McCoy Tyner, similar to the classic "Milestones," and has tenor man and composer Levy channeling John Coltrane cum Joe Lovano. The superlative "Like That" mixes and matches modal jazz styles, commanded by the outstanding rhythm section, with Rushen assimilating a Native American idea very much in the spirit of Don Pullen. Clark wrote or co-wrote three of these pieces, and acknowledges assistance from fellow drummer/composer Towner Galaher. "Loft Funk" suggests the R&B beat Clark earned early recognition for via work with Herbie Hancock, but is a clear adaptation of the theme from the Eddie Harris evergreen "Freedom Jazz Dance," with Rushen and McBride digging in. "Morning Becomes Electra" is co-written with Galaher and sounds like a latter-period Jazz Messengers tune when Harrison was with them. "Conchita's Dance" refers to the Woody ShawLouis Hayes book of music in stance and dynamics, as Rushen's ringing chords drive the group onward. "Past Lives" claims a lot of street cred, whereas Scott's influences of Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Shaw, and especially Terence Blanchard come to the fore here and during his feature, the loose post-bop "Clark Kent." The sound of Wynton Marsalis is also a factor during the sly and deep underground track "10th Ave. 1957," with Harrison's film noir alto up front. In appreciation of Blakey, "Thanks Len" shuffles along in a style that is clearly copped, but with love and respect. An excellent effort for Clark and this band, it comes easily recommended to those whose mainstream jazz jones needs a quick fix or a revitalized pump up.
---Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Mike Clark
Born October 3, 1946, in Sacramento, CA
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Hard Bop
Drummer Mike Clark is well known as the drummer for Herbie Hancock's funk-jazz outfit the Headhunters, and headed up the group after Hancock left to pursue other projects. But Clark goes far beyond playing simple R&B rhythms, becoming one of the more astute contemporary jazz drummers who also writes his own music. Clark began his professional career at age six in New Orleans, dipping into blues, soul, and jazz. As a youth, he split time between Texas and Northern and Southern California, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, prominently performing with Vince Guaraldi on the legendary themes for the Peanuts television projects. He was also the drummer on the controversial raunchy R&B album by Betty Davis entitled They Say I'm Different in 1974. Clark and the pioneering electric bass guitarist Paul Jackson worked together until both of them were recruited for the Headhunters, recording Thrust, Flood, and Man-Child with Hancock on the Columbia label, and the Headhunters' albums for Arista Records.
Then Clark started his career as a leader with the 1989 Stash album Give the Drummer Some, with help from heavyweights like Jack Wilkins, Jack Walrath, and Ricky Ford. Hopping from label to label over the next 15 years, Clark issued The Funk Stops Here for the Enja label in 1991, was part of Master Drummers, Vol. 3 for Ubiquity, collaborated with Jackson and vibraphonist Marc Wagnon for the 2001 Buckyball CD Conjunction, and issued Summertime for JazzKey in 2003 and his triumphant 2008 release, Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. 1, for Talking House Records. Along the way, Clark revived the Headhunters for recordings and touring, and over the years has collaborated with the likes of Eddie Henderson, Shawn Phillips, Alphonso Johnson, Marc Puricelli, Jeff and Suzanne Pittson, Ned Sublette, Percy Jones, Henry Franklin, Michael Wolff, Dave Ellis, Brian Auger, Christian McBride, Patrice Rushen, Towner Galaher, Jed Levy, Billy Childs, Chris Potter, Josh Roseman, Bob Sheppard, Dave Fiuczynski, Donald Harrison, Christian Scott, Robert Hurst, and James Genus. Like Herbie Hancock, Clark is a devotee of the Buddhist philosophies of Nichiren Daishonin.
---Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide |
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