A long line formed in the hallway outside of the David Friend Recital Hall last month as students and faculty alike gathered to witness a clinic featuring bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, the pair that provided the pulse to jazz-fusion supergroup Return to Forever. The event began with a 10-minute-plus improvisation, as Clarke and White fluidly changed keys and tempos quickly. The talented duo seemed as comfortable playing traditional jazz lines as they did chaotic modal riffs. When they finished jamming, Clarke and White fielded questions from the audience and spoke fondly about the origins of their friendship, which included stints playing with greats Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Joe Henderson, before they both settled into Chick Corea's Return to Forever.

Stanley Clarke and Lenny White take questions from the audience. Photo by Andy Barrett

"I don't trust any other drummers like I trust Lenny," Clarke told the audience. "I don't mean that in a negative way, but I know that if I change styles, he'll change styles. If Lenny speeds up, I'll speed up. We're on the same wavelength like that."

When asked by one student about the importance of their African American heritage earlier in their careers as opposed to the present, Clarke told the audience that it's always important to recognize your background.

"Recognize your heritage whoever you are. If you're African American, Polish American, Jewish, Italian, it doesn't matter," Clarke said. "When you can express or incorporate your heritage into your music, that's a beautiful thing and that's what fusion brought to the table."