Clarke, Rushen & White @ Blues Alley : Washington Post Review 3/16/07 Stanley Clarke and Co. Bassist Stanley Clarke, pianist Patrice Rushen and drummer Lenny White weren't quite sure what to call their opening set on Thursday night at Blues Alley: a debut performance or a trial run? No matter. There were some tentative moments and tinkering, but anyone who expected to hear the all-star trio stretch out in an acoustic and unusually cozy setting didn't go home disappointed. Longtime collaborators in various groupings and sessions over the years, the three musicians are still sorting out a repertoire for their new venture. What they've come up with so far -- a mix of swing and bop anthems, original compositions and pop deconstructions -- nicely balances virtuosic play with interpretative finesse. Clarke, playing upright bass and acoustic bass guitar, dazzled the packed house with a percussive blend of finger-tapped melodies and slap-thumb funk -- that is, when he wasn't smoothly propelling the jazz standard "Invitation" or conjuring Latin lyricism on the self-penned ballad "Tradition." At one point, Rushen pointed out that it's not often that fans get a chance to hear Clarke performing unplugged in a club, but the same could be said about her. A solo rendition of "A Night in Tunisia," in which Rushen occasionally pitted her hands against each other, like opposing brass and reed sections in a big band, was particularly enjoyable. White, meanwhile, produced orchestral crescendos and plenty of rhythmic thrust, but some of his best moments came when he was simply laying back, lightly accenting a swing pulse. The Blues Alley engagement runs through tomorrow. The trio performs on Monday at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis. -- Mike Joyce http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031601960.html Comments: Post a Comment

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