Bass virtuoso, composer, and NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke, also known for composing the scores to such films as “Boyz N the Hood,” and “Barbershop,” is slated to return to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on November 9 with his group, 4 Ever. Clarke will bring his unique blend of jazz-fusion and unmistakable low-end to Prudential Hall, performing a selection of tunes that highlight his storied career.
Clarke came to prominence as a member of Return to Forever alongside late keyboardist Chick Corea, renowned drummer Lenny White, and later – New Jersey guitarist Al DiMeola. The group were successful in popularizing electric fusion, which incorporated elements of rock, funk, and classical music into jazz. The group, alongside contemporaries like Weather Report, helped push jazz centric music further into the mainstream during a period where the music may have been considered less accessible by contemporary audiences. Clarke would continue to find success, composing for films and spearheading a successful solo career that spawned records like 1976’s “School Days.” Stanley Clarke N 4 Ever highlights young, emerging voices in jazz alongside Clarke. The lineup features Jeremiah Collier on drums, pianist Beka Gochiashvili, Colin Cook on guitar, and saxophonist Emilio Modeste. Together, two generations of master improvisors will lend their unique voices to compositions by Clarke, Return to Forever, and more.
Find tickets to the show at NJPAC at njpac.org.