CD
Stanley Clarke
The Toys of Men
Heads Up
If the show weren't actually about fishing, Stanley Clarke would be a champion bassmaster. Acoustic or electric, Clarke's bass on his new album The Toys of Men hits hard-full of fits, bursts and crescendos. The album practically plays like a midbass reference CD. Tracks like "Bad Asses" are woofer workouts that feature plenty of Clarke's patented slap techniques and Ronald Bruner Jr.'s lightning bass drum. Clarke's experience writing film scores shows in the sweeping theme. A nice system will put a shine on its lush acoustic instrumentation and helter-skelter rhythms.
Maceo Parker
Roots and Grooves
Heads Up
Who knew there was a highly advanced member of the species Homo sapiens known as the "funky German?" Not just one, mind you, but enough to fill the entire WDR Big Band Cologne. They play a big brand of funk alongside sax man Maceo Parker on Roots & Grooves. The first disc is a somewhat forgettable Ray Charles tribute, though Parker's Ray is uncanny. It could shame Jamie Foxx into doing a Stealth 2. The second disc is heavily instrumented and recorded well, with clean delineation and a big soundstage. Parker's incisive, rhythmic alto threatens to pierce a hole through your speakers. Listen to this one for a few minutes and you'll know whether your speakers are fatiguing.
Diane Schuur
Concord
Heads Up
If you don't like the way Diane Schuur's voice sounds on your audio system, it's probably time for a change. Shuur's pitch-perfect pipes can be soft without sappiness or burry without hoariness. On Some Other Time, she returns to her roots as a jazz singer with several well-known standards, including a beautifully realized take of Irving Berlin's "They Say It's Wonderful" that illustrates why Mary Jane got fired for her version in Spiderman 3. The sound is focused on vocals, of course, but piano and drums also sound lifelike. Soundstage and dynamics aren't great. The instrumentation and arrangements are relatively simple.