Van Morrison / Stanley Clarke Band
22 years ago Molde was delighted when Van Morrison visited Moldejazz both with his own concert and as a surprise guest at Bob Dylan's concert the day before. On July 18th, the legend finally returns with a magnificent concert at the Romsdalsmuseet! His previous concert in Norway, at Sverresborg Arena in Trondheim in 2017, was completely sold out and a huge success.
The concert at Moldejazz will be the only one he performs in Norway in 2018.
The Northern Ireland multi-instrumentalist and songwriter (72) has been active since the mid-sixties, and belongs to a generation of rockers who never seem to run out of battery. Morrison is known as one of the most extraordinary and influential vocalists in rock history. The critic Greil Marcus has gone so far as to say that "no white man sings like Van Morrison". He has won two Grammy awards and has been nominated five times and is inscribed in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Van Morrison is quite productive at the moment and has released two albums just last year. His 38th album "Versatile" came at the end of the year and consisted of interpretations of standard songs from the jazz repertoire and some of his own songs. The Guardian described the release as "a lively journey through the swing songbook" in a very positive review.
"Singing songs like these - especially the standard songs - has given me the chance to refine my vocals, and to return to the music that initially inspired me to start singing - jazz!" said the artist in connection with the launch. Van Morrison is a formidable live artist who always puts music in the highlight and has an impressive song catalog to pick from. We are looking forward to what will be a festive concert with one of the greatest living legends!
Stanley Clarke Band
SUPER BASSIST FINALLY BACK IN MOLDE!
After playing at Moldejazz in 1972 with Chick Corea's Return to Forever, Stanley Clarke is finally back with his own band!
If there is a top division for bass genres, there is little doubt that Stanley Clarke belongs high up in it. After Jaco Pastorius passed away, many are counting Clarke as the most prominent electric bassist in the past decade.
A special crew with two keyboards on top of a rejuvenating rhythm team where Clarke alternates between bass and acoustic bass, indicates varied sound levels and rich sound images in a modern musical landscape. There is every reason to be at the Romsdals museum when Stanley Clarke Band opens for Van Morrison. If it ends with jam here, the Morrison band will have a little to get used to. Just see what Chris Hislop writes in a concert review: Clarke ... quite literally was unbelievable ... Clarke more or less «made-love» to his bass. At times he made it pant, and sometimes he made it "bark," and moan as if the bass was saying, "give me more!" At the end of the solo, ... it was the audience left breathless and craving just a little more. Overall, the show was awe inspiring. Experiences like these are few and far between - Chris Hislop, seacoastonline.com.
Stanley Clarke - Double Bass and Bass, Beka Gochiashvili - Piano, Keyboards;; Cameron Graves Keyboards; Shariq Tucker - Drums