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   Stanley Clarke Is Set to Perform with Two Very Special Friends Stanley is set to perform with Patrice Rushen & Lenny White at DC'S BLUES ALLEY MARCH 15-18 & ANNAPOLIS' RAMS HEAD MARCH 19. Legendary bassist Stanley Clarke has invited two very special friends, Patrice Rushen on piano and Lenny White on drums, to perform limited engagements at Washington DC's Blues Alley Thursday - Sunday, March 15 - 18 and Annapolis, MD's, Rams Head Tavern Monday, March 19. In addition to the Blues Alley and Rams Head dates, the three groundbreaking musicians will perform together at only one other venue, The Blue Note in New York City March 20 - 25."I'm very happy to be touring again with my old band mate Lenny, and equally excited to play with Patrice, who is a unique force in music. I am looking forward to playing this music," said Clarke. Excited about this collaboration on stage with Rushen and White, Clarke knows the combination of a trio of extraordinary musicians with comparable skill and achievement in the world of jazz is sure to be an exhilarating event for the audience.

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