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| Artist : Stanley Clarke |
| Album : The Toys Of Men |
| Bitrate : VBR kbps |
| |
+-------------------------------[Release Info]-------------------------------+
| |
| Label : Heads Up Records |
| Year : 2007 |
| Genre : Jazz |
| Rip date : Oct-16-2007 |
| Store date : Oct-16-2007 |
| Size : 75,8 MB |
| |
+--------------------------------[Track List]--------------------------------+
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|Track Listing: |
| |
| 01 - the toys of men 11:14 |
| 02 - come on 03:00 |
| 03 - jerusalem 06:13 |
| 04 - back in the woods 01:25 |
| 05 - all over again 05:04 |
| 06 - hmm hmm 01:54 |
| 07 - bad asses 05:05 |
| 08 - game 03:19 |
| 09 - la cancion de sofia 03:08 |
| 10 - el bajo negro 07:45 |
| 11 - broski 01:57 |
| 12 - chateauvallon 05:26 |
| (dedicated to tony williams) |
| 13 - bass folk song no. 6 02:52 |
| |
| ───── |
| 58:22 min |
| |
+-------------------------------[Release Notes]------------------------------+
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| For centuries, the artist has served as the great counterbalance to the |
| warrior. When statesmen in opposing camps rattle their swords and draw |
| lines in the sand, itÆs left to the creators to reach across the borders |
| and hold civilization together. Such is the climate we find ourselves in |
| at the dawn of the 21st century. |
| |
| Stanley Clarke, one of the most innovative electric bass players of the |
| past three decades û an artist and a creator in the truest sense of the |
| words û examines the emotional sweep of war in The Toys of Men, his new |
| CD set for worldwide release on Heads Up International / Roxboro |
| Entertainment Group on October 16, 2007. |
| |
| ôIf you study history, and the history of warfare, it boils down to some |
| very simple dynamics,ö says Clarke. ôWhen there are disagreements and |
| disputes between countries, people always go back to their toys and how |
| they can use them to intimidate their adversaries. This goes all the way |
| back to the days when we were fighting each other with swords and |
| shields, and even rocks and clubs. ItÆs just a part of human nature, |
| particularly with men. ThereÆs this basic belief, however flawed as it |
| might be, that the only way youÆre really going to get what you want is |
| by conquering someone or something. In those moments in history when |
| weÆve been at war or on the brink of war, the whole idea of just |
| allowing something to be what it is just doesnÆt exist.ö |
| |
| This recurring phenomenon of human history is the topic of the albumÆs |
| title track û a six-part suite and the cornerstone that opens the |
| 13-song set and spans a range of colors û from the dark and violent to |
| the uplifting and transcendent. |
| |
| ôWhen you listen to the song in all of its parts, it has a lot of |
| different emotions going on in it,ö Clarke explains. ôThereÆs fear, |
| thereÆs confusion, thereÆs chaos, all of those things that we associate |
| with war and destruction. But at the end, in those segments entitled |
| æThe Opening of the GatesÆ and æGod Light,Æ thereÆs ultimately hope.ö |
| |
| ôCome Onö and ôJerusalem,ö the two tracks that follow the opening suite, |
| carry a socio-political weight all their own. ôÆCome OnÆ is about |
| letting go of the things that are holding you back, and finding some |
| peace within yourself,ö says Clarke. ôSometimes when IÆm playing music, |
| I just want to tell people, æCome on, drop the baggage. Drop the |
| negative energy and be more positive.Æö |
| |
| ôJerusalem,ö written by keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, a native of Israel, |
| is a track whose gentle melody transcends the unrest that has plagued |
| the revered Middle Eastern city for thousands of years and reconnects |
| with its inherent beauty. ôThe middle part of the song reduces to |
| nothing more than a single tone, and then it rises again,ö says Clarke. |
| ôIÆve been to Jerusalem a number of times, and the song reminds me of a |
| sunset I once saw there.ö |
| |
| Also among the highlights is ôAll Over Again,ö an immigrant story with |
| lyrics written and sung by up-and-coming acoustic bassist and vocalist |
| Esperanza Spalding. The song is about a friend of ClarkeÆs who was |
| forced to leave the U.S. û and the woman he loved û because of his |
| immigration status. ôThis couple had been together for a while, and they |
| were going to get married, but he had to leave,ö Clarke recalls. ôFrom a |
| legal standpoint, there were no two ways about it. They petitioned the |
| court, but it didnÆt work out in his favor, so he left.ö |
| |
| The Brazilian-flavored ôLa Cancion de Sofia,ö underscored by the subtle |
| but infectious rhythms of percussionist Paulinho da Costa, is ClarkeÆs |
| song to his wife. ôSheÆs a very interesting woman,ö he says. ôSheÆs very |
| forward thinking, because sheÆs an artist, yet very much a |
| traditionalist at the same time. ThereÆs this pull that she constantly |
| experiences between looking toward the future and still having these |
| old-school sensibilities at the same time. This piece just sounds like |
| her.ö |
| |
| Also in the mix are a number of understated acoustic bass interludes, |
| which collectively represent a relatively new tack for an artist who has |
| built his reputation on fiery electric bass riffs. ôI actually recorded |
| those tracks in my dining room,ö says Clarke. ôIt has a very high |
| ceiling and a lot of wood. I just put the bass in there and rolled tape. |
| IÆve really been practicing with the acoustic bass a lot in the last |
| couple years, and IÆve developed some different techniques and styles. A |
| lot of that has come from touring with Jean-Luc Ponty and Al Di Meola in |
| Rite of Strings. Working with them, IÆve developed a way to play the |
| acoustic bass as a truly solo instrument.ö |
| |
| The quiet interludes offer a glimmer of optimism in a moment of history |
| that is plagued by war and global unrest. Despite the occasionally bleak |
| subject matter of The Toys of Men, ClarkeÆs outlook remains generally |
| optimistic. |
| |
| ôI do believe that civilization is headed toward a golden age,ö he says. |
| ôI may not see it in my lifetime, but I do believe that people approach |
| their differences with at least a little more civility than they did in |
| earlier centuries. I think there will come a day when men will in fact |
| drop the baggage and the negative energy once and for all, put down the |
| dangerous toys and talk to each other like human beings.ö |
| |
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