Stanley Clarke And Stewart Copeland Reunite For The 'serendipitous' Santa Monica Jazz Festival

Jazz elephantine and celebrated bassist Stanley Clarke says launching and curating nan caller Santa Monica International Jazz Festival was serendipitous. Held successful conjunction pinch nan BroadStage, nan metropolis of Santa Monica and SM Festivals crossed various locations successful Santa Monica, nan festival, which started May 1 and runs done Saturday, includes a John Coltrane centennial tribute featuring Lekecia Benjamin and Isaiah Collier connected Friday. The festival’s debut comes astatine a clip erstwhile jazz is enjoying a massive uptick successful popularity and vulnerability successful Los Angeles.

As Clarke explained during a caller associated question and reply pinch him and legendary drummer, composer and longtime friend Stewart Copeland — who will subordinate Clarke connected shape to execute astatine Tongva Park connected Saturday — he has been building toward nan 2026 debut since 2023. As an creator successful residence astatine BroadStage, he recognized Santa Monica arsenic an perfect locale for a jazz festival.

So overmuch truthful that he made expanding nan in-house show into a overmuch bigger citywide programme a information for doing nan creator successful residency and teaching. When it was clip to book nan fest, Clarke said Copeland was his first call. Listening to nan 2 friends banter backmost and distant for illustration nan “Odd Couple” of jazz, it is very clear why. If they jam together for illustration they banter, this is going to beryllium 1 joyous and memorable closing set.

Jazz fable Stanley Clarke has been readying nan Santa Monica International Jazz Festival, now underway, since 2023.

(Raj Naik)

What prompted this show successful Santa Monica now?

Stanley Clarke: I was successful L.A. for nan past mates of years. I still walk astir of my clip there. I walk immoderate clip down present successful Florida. But erstwhile I’m there, I was school a large band/jazz people astatine Santa Monica College. I had a three-year residency there. I said, “Yeah, I’ll do this three-year residency because I really for illustration school music.” But they had this small show that they had in-house that they wanted maine to curate. It’s a really mini show pinch conscionable kids and immoderate things. So, I put immoderate bands together. I said, “Listen, I’ll do this for you. But successful nan 3rd year, we’re going to person to return this outside.” Me and my woman utilized to locomotion down nan Third Street Promenade successful Santa Monica. There are a batch of vendors, and you spot musicians playing connected nan street. And I ever wondered why they ne'er had a jazz show there. You person nan backdrop — nan beach, thenar trees, tons of traffic, people, nan pier, restaurants, hotels. It’s a cleanable spot for a jazz festival. So, I sprung it connected nan school. I said, “Hey, this is what we should do.”

They thought I was crazy, of course. Then what I did was I sewage a partner, whose sanction is Martin Fleischman. We formed a accumulation institution for doing concerts and things. All I tin opportunity is if I ne'er knew nan meaning of nan connection serendipity, I judge cognize it now. All these things conscionable happened. It conscionable happened nan twelvemonth I wanted to do it was nan centennial ceremony of Miles Davis and John Coltrane and a fewer others arsenic good arsenic Route 66. The metropolis was measurement into it; they were building immoderate stages for america astatine 4 locations. Just a batch of group wanted to get together and do this thing. It’s a awesome look. It reminds maine of those awesome European festivals wherever nan full organization is simply a portion of it. A batch of nutrient vendors and restaurants are into it. A mates of hotels are signed connected and going to thief america out. And 1 of nan first group I thought that should play successful this show is this man complete here, Stewart.

Stewart Copeland: Yeah, I’m known for my jazz proclivities.

Clarke: Yeah, that’s why I wanted him to play. His proclivities successful jazz are mammoth. But I’ve sewage to show you something. The word jazz, arsenic we recreation done time, possibly it’s fluid aliases little fluid. But it’s really an undefined term. For maine now, anyone that plays immoderate benignant of euphony that has improvisation wherever they’re playing solos, it falls nether nan umbrella of jazz, because jazz has go much of a emotion now, little of a strict for illustration “We’re going to travel nan chord changes of Charlie Parker to nan nonstop note.” All I mean is that worldly is agelong gone. This is simply a young festival. I deliberation maine and Stewart are nan oldest guys there. Did you cognize that?

Copeland: Hey, Stanley, really astir this for a meaning of jazz? And I’m conscionable making this up arsenic we’re talking. In popular music, nan musicians are location to support nan song. And successful jazz, we say, “The opus is location to make nan set look good. We’re not location to service nan song. The opus is location to service us.” God bless nan jazz fans. Because nan jazz fans want to travel out, and they want to spot players play.

How acold backmost does nan relationship go?

Clarke: One of nan cool things astir nan fusion euphony that we came up with, and moreover Stewart, nan euphony that you were doing pinch nan Police and beyond, was ever very progressive-sounding to me.

Copeland: Well, [guitarist] Andy [Summers] did person those jazz chords.

Clarke: Yeah, he had chords, and you had a singer. I knew Sting backmost successful nan days erstwhile I called him Gordon. [Gordon Sumner] utilized to play successful this set successful Newcastle.

Copeland: And, by nan way, you are nan only personification connected nan satellite qualified to reside him arsenic Gordon. I’m not there. In nan bass world, Mr. Clark, you tin telephone Sting immoderate damn point you want.

Clarke: Stewart, you person that successful your blood, man. It’s successful there. Improvisation, playing. If you tin play your instrument, you should beryllium heard.

Copeland: My daddy raised maine to beryllium a jazz musician, which is beautiful overmuch why I respect jazz arsenic being euphony astir nan family heart, a safe place. It’s for illustration family Sunday lunch. But past you, Stanley, pointed retired that I was raised connected incorrect jazz, which is to opportunity achromatic large set jazz, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman. I wholly missed Miles because that was beautiful overmuch erstwhile Jimi Hendrix came out. And nan infinitesimal I heard that guitar blazing, that was it for trombones and trumpets. So, I wholly missed each nan fusion until Return to Forever came around. And that took it to a full caller place, which sounded thing astatine each for illustration Woody Herman.

Talk astir your past philharmonic relationship.

Copeland: We person played immoderate jazz before.

Clarke: We did that 1 circuit of each nan jazz festivals successful Europe.

Copeland: And we burned down nan location each night. And nan point that I retrieve astir of each was nan group list. The popular set goes retired location and it’s an evening pinch whoever, Oasis, Police aliases whoever. You’re going to get 20 songs, thing for illustration that. This jazz point is six songs, including encore. Because it’s astir nan playing. It’s astir nan cool interaction. And I person to say, Mr. Clarke, don’t get each embarrassed aliases anything, but sitting connected shape location pinch Stanley taking disconnected connected that double bass, I genuinely consciousness that I americium successful nan beingness of nan cosmos. That was 1 of those fewer times erstwhile I’m really connected shape thinking, “Gosh, darn it.”

Clarke and Copeland are longtime friends. They person antecedently performed astatine jazz festivals together.

(Toshi Sakurai)

What did you look for successful different acts connected nan bill?

Clarke: All these bands that we person connected this show are really cool. I really excavation it, I for illustration being a promoter and paying myself. Then I said, “I’m going to telephone Stewart. And we’re going to hook this up.” Then each these different group showed up. And it’s immoderate bully bands.

For you guys, really overmuch nosy is it for some of you who’ve been astir this for truthful agelong to stock nan measure pinch each these young musicians who are quiet and excited?

Clarke: I’ll show you something. I person this thing, and possibly I picked this up from nan early jazz musicians, because they’ve benignant of instilled this successful my thinking: It’s ever young group that push it forward. Miles Davis was 21 astatine 1 time. So was Coltrane. I was amazed they were some nan aforesaid age. I ever thought Miles was a small older. But I’ll show you, 1 of nan things I for illustration astir this show is presenting caller people. One of my favourite promoters of each nan promoters I’ve ever dealt pinch was Bill Graham. Bill Graham was a feline that could person nan biggest stone set astatine wherever successful San Francisco, and if you’re playing astatine a nine and he’s promoting it, he would show up to talk to you, inquire is everything OK and occasionally he’d beryllium down and person a speech pinch you. And I retrieve 1 speech he said, “Man, what you guys are doing is great.” And that’s why we opened up for tons of bands for illustration Fleetwood Mac, Santana and each that worldly that helped Return to Forever.

Then evidently you person Kamasi Washington who is simply a prima successful L.A.

Clarke: I took him to Brazil. This is going to beryllium a bully spot for Kamasi. I’ve known Kamasi since he was very young. And I’m conscionable really happy for him. I’m a large instrumentality of musicians successful general. And I cognize Stewart is arsenic well. It’s going to beryllium a batch of fun. And I’m really looking guardant to this thing.

“I respect jazz arsenic being euphony astir nan family heart, a safe place,” Copeland says.

(Jessica Lehrman)

What are you looking guardant to, peculiarly astir this festival?

Copeland: Yeah, Stanley, you and I sewage to spell retired location and bang immoderate worldly physically. We’ve sewage to spell there. But actually, I emotion that.

Clarke: I really for illustration it.

Copeland: Yeah, maine too. After 74 years, we’re some nan aforesaid age. We’re astir nan aforesaid age. I’m enjoying it much and much each year.

Clarke: Yeah, I really bask it now. I utilized to do location betwixt 60 and 90 shows a year. Now it’s for illustration 40 to 50 shows a twelvemonth and astir apt it’ll really get less. I want to play euphony pinch group that I cognize tin play and group that I get on pinch very well. And effort to travel up pinch thing unusual. Have fun. As a musician, I’m having a awesome time. Back to this festival, I’m conscionable truthful happy everybody that’s travel on wants to beryllium progressive successful this thing. And everyone is moving along. It’s just, again, serendipitous. All this worldly is conscionable coming together. The beingness has said it shall be.