Stanley Clarke Band - Catalina Bar & Grill - 2/23/12

SJ O'Connell

Better than...vacuuming Joan Rivers' carpet.

Last night, mere blocks from Academy Award street closures and packs of scantily clad women, bassist Stanley Clarke took to the Catalina Bar & Grill to kick off the first of his three night residency, backed by one of the tightest young jazz bands out there.

Stanley Clarke is a badass bass player; that's obvious. Anyone foolish enough to get within striking distance of him or his band while mid-song could probably be severely injured. So it was unfortunate that Kennard Ramsey, one of Clarke's label signings, had to warm up the crowd with a brief set.

Although Ramsey's quartet only played two tunes, they seemed very hesitant and a little under-rehearsed for the situation; a battle with the soundman didn't seem to help. Ramsey's young bass player also made the unfortunate mistake of playing a six string bass. After what Clarke was about to do with only four strings, it might be wise to consider stripping things down.

After an awkward pause between band set-ups Clarke approached the stage, looking fatherly with his tucked-in shirt and jeans. Despite the appearance and the fact that his band was half his age, Clarke didn't let anyone outshine him. He spent the entire evening on upright bass, frequently manhandling it like a pair of bongos or a flimsy ukulele.

The band opened with Chick Corea's "No Mystery." Aside from piano, guitar and drums, there was a four-piece horn section standing in the dark on the wheelchair ramp. The entire unit blew breathlessly through the melody before making way for Charles Altura's guitar. After 1000 furiously articulated notes he made way for pianist Ruslan Sirota, who slowly built into his own category four storm. Clarke took an irrepressibly funky solo that pitted him against drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr.

For much of the night it was Bruner who stole the show. With his traffic-cone-orange drumset and dayglow drum sticks (presumably used to land planes when not on stage) Bruner launched his first solo into a barrage of 32nd note trills. It is unclear how his poor drum heads or Clarke's left ear withstood the blur of cymbals and sticks. Although Bruner plays with a smirking bombast and little interest in subtlety (even his brushes are intense) his command of the kit is undeniable and those other traits are just a matter of time.

The second tune, Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus," was a more subdued affair with spacious yet powerful solos from Altura, Sirota and saxophonist Doug Webb, who proved that the band could also swing. Clarke's solo displayed a well-earned maturity amid the youthful pulse, working allusions to "Summertime" and "So What?" before playing every piece of his bass but the pick-up.