STANLEY CLARKE

Although some of Stanley Clarke's later solo material--way too much in fact for my tastes--is hit or miss, this album is quite solid throughout. Maybe part of that is because this is the album with Tony Williams! There's no denying that Clarke and Williams have a great chemistry throughout this album, and it seems that the other players, notable they may have been, seem to understand this.

You'd think the highlight would be the 14 minute Life Suite, but I probably prefer Power and Lopsy Lu just a bit more because they are a bit more concise. Sometimes I've wondered about the fuzz generated by both Williams and Clarke, but on these tracks they leave nothing on the table, through playing in synch, playing off each other, and getting out of each other's way when necessary. Life Suite is also generally good, but it takes a while to get going. The last 7 minutes are just a simple riff by Clarke that keeps getting fatter, with everyone playing out until the horns come in at the end. Great groove, and I like Connors' addition (though not so impressed Hammer's soloing).

This was a good way for me to get to know Stanley and some of the fusion boys. Later on, things would start to sound a bit stale and overproduced, but here there is plenty of good rocking out and nice playing. This doesn't really add anything new to the fusion scene, but it's definitely solid most of the way through.