''Children of Forever'' is the debut album by jazz fusion bassist

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

. It was recorded in December 1972, and was released in 1973 by

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

. On the album, Clarke is joined by vocalists

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

and

Andy Bey Andrew W. Bey (born October 28, 1939) is an American jazz singer and pianist. Bey has a wide vocal range, with a four-octave baritone voice. Raised in Newark, New Jersey,Adler, David R"Andy Bey" ''JazzTimes'', April 25, 2019. Accessed December ...

, flutist Arthur Webb, guitarist

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

, keyboardist

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

, and drummer

Lenny White Leonard "Lenny" White III (born December 19, 1949) is an American jazz fusion drummer who was a member of the band Return to Forever led by Chick Corea in the 1970s. White has been called "one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion". He has won ...

Reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Thom Jurek wrote: "''Children of Forever'' has aged exceedingly well, and sounds as warm, inviting, and full of possibility in the early 21st century as it did in the early '70s. It's full of heart, soul, passion, and truly inspired musicianship." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' included the recording in their "Top Album Picks," and a reviewer stated: "Avant-garde meets funk on this connecting bridge type of project in which Andy Bey's fine voice is heard to advantage and Chick Corea's electric piano tinkles superbly." Noting the presence of Corea and White on the album, Progrography's Dave Connolly commented: "As a warm run for the next iteration of RTF..., ''Children of Forever'' is a welcome find for fusion fans."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke and lyrics written by Neville Potter; except where indicated Side One # "Children of Forever" – 10:42 # "Unexpected Days" – 5:53 # "Bass Folk Song" (Clarke) – 7:59 Side Two # "Butterfly Dreams" – 6:52 # "Sea Journey" (

, Neville Potter)– 16:26

Personnel

– double bass, bass guitar *

– electric piano, piano, clavinet *

– electric guitar, 12-string guitar *

– drums, tambourine * Arthur Webb – flute *

– vocals *

– vocals

Production

*Chick Corea - Producer *Leslie Wynn - Assistant Producer *Dixon Van Winkle – Engineer *Brad Davis - Assistant Engineer

References

1973 debut albums Post-bop albums Stanley Clarke albums Polydor Records albums {{1970s-jazz-album-stub