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Palm Springs International Jazz Festival

Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke

Long before he became a four-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, a composer for recordings and film, as well as one of the most celebrated acoustic and electric bass players in the world, Stanley Clarke was a student. Stanley’s “school days” were not only the inspiration for his world-renowned bass anthem, but essential to the origin story of the pioneering bass virtuoso from the streets of Philadelphia.

It's not the instrument, it's what comes from here, here and up here that comes out. [taps his gut, heart, and head]  These instruments are just physical objects.
— Stanley Clarke

Upon moving to New York he with Chick Corea would start a musical friendship and the creation of the groundbreaking jazz-rock fusion unit, Return to Forever. Clarke continued to transform the bass into a melodic and harmonic lead instrument. Stanley’s hypnotic, innovative approach to playing the instrument liberated the bass from the back to the front of the stage. In the process, he became the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status.

  • Friday, February 20, 2026
  • 8:00 pm
  • Annenberg Theatre
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  • Nuturing the next generation of emerging talent

    Based on a strong belief in giving back, Stanley and his wife Sofia established The Stanley Clarke Foundation, a charitable organization which awards scholarships to talented young musicians each year. Stanley Clarke won Grammys for his albums The Stanley Clarke Band (2011) and Forever (2012), which was a collaboration with Chick Corea and Lenny White. The album The Stanley Clarke Band won Best Contemporary Jazz Album, while Forever won Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Clarke's success continues to provide support and opportunities to empower young artists.

  • Concert halls to Cinema and TV

    An invitation to score an episode for the popular CBS program Pee Wee’s Playhouse in the mid-1980s, resulted in an Emmy-nomination, and pointed Stanley’s boundless creative energy in an entirely new direction, producing scores for the silver screen and television. As composer, orchestrator, conductor and performer, Stanley has some 70 film and television credits to his name and scored such blockbuster films as Boyz ‘N the Hood, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, The Transporter, Romeo Must Die, Passenger 57, Poetic Justice, Best Man Holiday and The Five Heartbeats among others.

NEA Jazz Masters (2022)

At Sweetwater

N 4Ever

  • Beka Gochiashvili

    Piano and keyboards

    Pianist/keyboard player Beka Gochiashvili is an award-winning child jazz piano prodigy and has performed with many of the jazz greats. He was brought to the US in 2008 with the help of Condoleezza Rice, then U.S. Secretary of State, an accomplished pianist herself. He has released two of his own albums and is a Clarke touring veteran.

  • Colin Cook

    Guitar

    Guitarist Colin Cook originally from McLean, VA, is a remarkable musician with a new, fresh and exhilarating approach to jazz. He studied at USC’s Thorton School of Music and since has become a sought after artist, performing with his searing guitar style in a number of bands.

  • Jeremiah Collier

    Drums

    Drummer Jeremiah Collier is from Chicago’s Southside. Collier is a fierce drummer with a wide understanding of music genres. He combines technique with enthusiastic physical energy. Jeremiah has been performing with Clarke for several years and performed with him in concert when Clarke won the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master honor in Spring 2022.

  • Emillio Modeste

    Saxophone

    Tenor saxophonist Emilio Modeste is a gifted young musician from Williamsburg, VA. With his lyrical style, he is one of the greatest young jazz sax soloist in the country today and a talented composer. Modeste began playing sax at the age of eight and has performed and studied with world-renowned musicians. He was also a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Tickets

  • Stanley Clarke and N 4Ever

    Saturday, February 20, 2026
    8:00 pm

    Annenberg Theatre

    • $75 - Tier 1
    • $50 - Tier 2
    Buy Stanley Clarke Tickets (Annenberg Theatre) 

  • VIP ALL ACCESS 6 shows + Jazz Party

    INCLUDES:
    Reserved VIP section - front orchestra seating for all six shows + swag

    - Thu Feb 19
    VIP Jazz party at the historic Franz Alexander House

    - Fri Feb 20
    Ben Sidran
    Stanley Clarke and N4Ever
    - Sat Feb 21
    Eliane Elias
    Preservation Hall Jazz Band
    - Sun Feb 22
    Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton
    Esperanza Spalding

    $1,000 VIP ALL ACCESS Tickets 

Buy Tickets for Stanley ClarkeBuy VIP ALL ACCESS Tickets