Lenny White: Renderers of Spirit (1996)

Drummer Lenny White doesn't explore much new territory on Renderers Of Spirit, which contains nothing that will make you forget that he played drums on the legendary Bitches Brew sessions for Miles Davis, or that, along with Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Al DiMeola, he helped define 1970s jazz-fusion as Return to Forever.

But even though the compositions here survey what amounts to the by-now familiar R&B meets jazz domain, White and company make the journey enough of a comfortably swinging stroll to make it worth the trip. White's sound and plump backbeat on drums in "Ho-Cake" sound straight outta hip-hop (that is, before they dissolve in a limpid pool of what's now called "smooth jazz"), and bassist Victor Bailey bounces off the walls in his own title, "Pick Pocket."

Renderers includes contributions from fellow Miles alumni Foley and Bennie Maupin, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, and Michael Brecker (In fact, "Countdown 2000" would not sound out of place on Davis' album Tutu). It closes with a challenging jazz-funk mind-meld of Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackyle" wih Sly Stone's "Africa Talks To You," and also includes covers (with vocals) of Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By" (which nominally works) and of Christopher Cross' "Sailing" (which absolutely does not).

Tracklist:

01 - Whew! What A Dream
02 - Ho-Cake
03 - Walk On By
04 - Pick Pocket
05 - Savant
06 - Sailing
07 - The Abyss
08 - SwingTime
09 - Beggin'
10 - Countdown: 2000
11 - Dr. Jackle/Africa Talks To You

Personnel:

Geri Allen - Piano
Victor Bailey - Bass, Arranger
Don Blackman - Organ, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes
Michael Brecker - Saxophone
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Jerry Brooks - Bass
Dean Brown - Guitar
Stanley Clarke - Tenor, Bass Solo
Jon Dryden - Synthesizer, Arranger
George Duke - Moog Synthesizer
Vince Evans - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes
Foley - Lead Bass
Javon Jackson - Sax (Tenor)
Dechown Jenkens - Guitar
Mark Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
Darryl Jones - Bass
Mark Ledford - Guitar, Trumpet, Arranger, Vocals
Kim Lesley - Vocals (bckgr)
Pete Levin - Synthesizer, Arranger, Keyboards, Programming, Orchestration
Bennie Maupin - Clarinet (Bass), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Jean McClain - Vocals (bckgr)
Audrey Northington - Vocals
Nicki Richards - Arranger, Vocals
Patrice Rushen - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards
Michael "Patches" Stewart - Trumpet
Danny Walsh - Saxophone
Lenny White - Organ, Arranger, Cymbals, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Producer
Bernard Wright - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer
Pookie Zari - Synthesizer

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Jeff Lorber Fusion: Galaxian (1981)

GALAXIAN, the 1981 album from modern jazz group The Jeff Lorber Fusion, first appeared in 1981 and features the tracks "Magic Lady" and "Night Love."

Tracklist:
01 - Monster Man
02 - Seventh Mountain
03 - Magic Lady
04 - Night Love
05 - Spur of the moment
06 - Think back and remember
07 - Bright Sky
08 - Galaxian
Personnel:
Jeff Lorber: Keyboards
Kenny G : alto & tenor saxophone, Flute
Dennis Bradford: Drums
Danny Wilson: Electric Bass
Additional musicians
Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion
Stanley Clarke : Bass
Dean Parks : Guitar
Galaxian
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Eliane Elias: Illusions (1987)

Eliane Elias' debut as a leader (she had been a member of Steps Ahead) finds her abandoning the electric keyboards in favor of acoustic piano. On seven songs she is joined by bassist Eddie Gomez and either Al Foster or Steve Gadd on drums; the remaining two selections feature her accompanied by bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White. With harmonica great Toots Thielemans making guest appearances on two numbers, Elias was at the time easily the least-known of the players on her own CD. However the pianist was already far along toward developing her own sound as she shows on four originals, two obscurities, Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song," Blossom Dearie's "Sweet Georgia Fame" and the standard "Falling in Love with Love." A fine start to a significant solo career.

Tracklist:
1. Choro (4:38)
2. Through The Fire (6:05)
3. Illusions (7:09)
4. Moments (5:53)
5. Falling In Love With Love (6:23)
6. Iberia (10:26)
7. Loco Motif (5:41)
8. Sweet Georgia Fame (5:43)
9. Chan's Song (6:18)
Personnel:
Piano, Producer - Eliane Elias
Bass - Eddie Gomez (tracks: 3 to 9)
Stanley Clarke (tracks: 1, 2)
Co-producer - Christine Martin
Drums - Al Foster (tracks: 4 to 6, 8, 9) ,
Lenny White (tracks: 1, 2)
Steve Gadd (tracks: 3, 7)
Harmonica - Toots Thielemans (tracks: 4, 9)
Written-By - Eliane Elias (tracks: 3, 4, 6, 7)
Illusions
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Stanley Clarke, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Chick Corea & Lenny White: Griffith Park Collection (1982)

This unique straight-ahead jazz project unites three core members of Return to Forever with post-bop horn heavyweights Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson. Stanley Clarke makes an unusual appearance on upright bass, and plays it well. Chick Corea and Lenny White round out the ensemble. The set is strictly acoustic, beginning and ending with two Lenny White tunes, the lively "L's Bop" and the somber, dramatic "Guernica," respectively. Clarke contributes the catchy, mid-tempo blues "Why Wait," while Corea gives us "October Ballade" and Hubbard dusts off his hard-bop classic "Happy Times." Corea's trio featured on Steve Swallow's "Remember" breaks things up nicely.

Tracklist:
1 Lil' Bop - White 5:17
2 Why Wait - Clarke 8:12
3 October Ballade - Corea 5:36
4 Happy Times - Hubbard 7:14
5 Remember - Swallow 4:12
6 Guernica - White 9:36
Personnel:
Stanley Clarke - Bass (Upright) 
Chick Corea - Piano 
Joe Henderson - Sax (Tenor) 
Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet, Flugelhorn 
Lenny White - Drums
Griffith Park Collection
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George Duke: Night After Night (1989)

George Duke says: "It took a few years before I was ready to record another CD. With the mediocre success of George Duke, I needed time to think about my musical direction. Also, I had many A&R meetings with Bob Krasnow about the direction for the project. I would try a few things, send them to him for his reaction, and so on and so forth. I had never been in that position before. By the way, that goes on in the biz everyday, but not to me!! I went along with the program since I knew that if this record didn't do well, that it was curtains for me at Elektra."

Tracklist:
01. Miss Wiggle
02. Children of the Night
03. Love Ballad
04. Guilty
05. Same Ole Love
06. Say Hello
07. You Are the Only One in My Life
08. Brazilian Coffee
09. This Lovin'
10. Mystery Eyes
11. 560 SL
12. Fuzzzion
13. Rise Up
Personnel:
George Duke - synclavier,TX 816,acoustic piano,D550,Super Jupiter,Mini Moog,Castlebar clavinet, lead and background vocals
Feddie"Ready" Washington - bass solos exept "Fuzzzion"
Byron Miller - bass on "Guilty"
Paul Jackson,Jr. - guitar
Stanley Clarke - bass on "Fuzzzion"
John Robinson - drums
Airto Moreira - percussion on "Fuzzzion"
Jerry Hey - trumpet
Gary Grant - trumpet
Bill Reichenbach - trombone
Larry Williams - tenor sax
Marc Russo - alto sax on "Guilty"
Rayford Griffin - drums on "560 SL","Fuzzzion"
Michael Landau - guitar on "560 SL"
Alphonso Johnson - fretless bass on "Fuzzzion"
Jean-Luc Ponty - violin on "Fuzzzion"
Michael Sembello - guitar on "Fuzzzion"
Vocals: Alexandra Brown, Lynn Davis, Howard Hewett, James Ingram, Josie James, Marcy Levy, Phil Perry, Carl Carwell, Joey Diggs, Johnny Gill, Natalie Jackson, Keith John, Jeffrey Osborne
Night After Night
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Stanley Clarke: Live (1976-1977) (1991)

Stanley Clarke is simply the greatest bassist to have ever graced the earth with his presence. There are many other great ones (Manring, Wooten, Hamm, Jaco, etc.) but one thing that separates Stanley from the others is his compositional skills. The disc doesn't have a version of his suites but it captures all of the diversity that Stanley and his bandmates unleash during a show. The opener is "School Days". The form is the same as on the disc of the same name but live it is taken to another energy level. Ray Gomez lets loose and then Stanley defies the physical limitations that a person has. The speed and clarity is unreal. Then he cuts loose with some slap. The horn section gives this song even more power. More of Stanley's ability to bring out the funk are "Lopsy-Lu" and "Silly Putty". Anyone that plays bass should take notes on how the instrument should be played. The bass lines on these songs are two lessons in how to be funky. Stanley grooves on both tunes and the horn section is present again on "Silly Putty". "Lopsy Lu" finds Stanley exchanging fours with his bandmates. There is also an example of Clarke's acoustic grace on "Bass Folk Song". The piece is a duet with Stanley and his keyboardist. No one can play the upright like Stanley can. The same virtuosity that he displays on electric bass he has on an acoustic. The ability to play electric and acoustic with equal awe inspiration is another thing that separates Stanley from the rest. Also included on the disc are two RTF covers. "Dayride" features Jerry Brown on drums. "The Magician" is the other RTF tune and although the tune lacks Dimeola it is still phenomenal. No one has taken Jazz/Rock/ Funk/Fusion to greater heights than Stanley. His writing is a refection of his schooling and his Coltanesque sheets-of-sound bass technique is a revelation. The bottom line is this. If you are a bass player or you appreciate anyone that can take their instrument to unmatched heights then get this. It is the greatest one from the greatest one.

Tracklist

01. School Days

02. Lopsy Lu
03. Quiet Afternoon
04. Silly Putty
05. Dayride
06. Bass Folk Song No. 3
07. The Magician
08. Desert Song
09. Vulcan Princess
Live 1976-1977
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