Stanley Clarke - Hideaway 1986

Perhaps aware of some creeping staleness in his records, Clarke brought in a lot of help and sailed in the general direction of the wave on Hideaway -- but with only slightly improved results. George Howard, Angela Bofill, Herbie Hancock, Stewart Copeland (with whom Clarke would soon form Animal Logic), the newly emerged Stanley Jordan, and bass colleague Alphonso Johnson are some of the more recognizable names on board, and Clarke mans all of the instruments himself on the drum computer-driven "When It's Cold Outside." Some points of note: Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" gets a lush treatment augmented by Jordan's spidery guitar and Clare Fischer's string chart; "Old Friends" features the core of the School Days band and sounds fresher than its companions while allowing for some electronic updating of the style. But rarely are the guests challenged to their capabilities in this polished, often relaxed collection of synth-textured tracks, for the material remains mostly routine.