Jazz

Grover Washington Jr. - Live At The Bijou (1977)

2017-05-06T14:31:16Z

Grover Washington Jr. - Live At The Bijou (1977)


A1 	On The Cusp 	6:15
A2 	You Make Me Dance 	5:41
A3 	Lock It In The Pocket 	6:50
B1 	Days In Our Lives 	7:44
B2 	Mr Magic 	12:24
C1 	Summer Song 	7:30
C2 	Juffure 	9:30
D1 	Sausalito 	9:51
D2 	Funkfoot 	8:31

Bass – Tyrone Brown
Drums – Millard Vinson
Flute – Leslie Burrs
Guitar – Richard Steacker
Keyboards – James Simmons
Percussion – Leonard Gibbs
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr.
Violin [Electric] – John Blake

Grover Washington, Jr. always put on exciting shows, and this performance from the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia is a good example of his repertoire in 1977. It doesn't reach the heights of his best studio recordings or concerts, but there are some fine moments. Utilizing his octet at the time (with violinist John Blake, keyboardist James Simmons, and flutist Leslie Burrs), this LP mostly features Washington playing lesser-known tunes that wouldn't be in his repertoire for long (other than a medley that includes "Mr. Magic"), but Washington (heard on tenor, alto, and soprano) consistently brightens the material. ---Scott Yanow, AllMusic Review

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Grover Washington, Jr. - Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (2001)

2016-09-26T14:52:47Z

Grover Washington, Jr. - Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (2001)


01. Take Five (Take Another Five)   [4:59]
02. Sacred Kind Of Love   [5:38]
03. Only For You (Siempre Para Ti Sere)   [5:13]
04. Please Send Me Someone To Love   [4:00]
05. Strawberry Moon   [4:23]
06. Summer Nights   [6:13]
07. Heat Index   [3:31]
08. Next Exit   [5:07]
09. Blues For DP   [8:27]
10. Soulful Strut (The Top Down Version)   [3:20]
11. The Love In His Infant Eyes   [4:24]
12. The Night Fantastic   [3:05]
13. Protect The Dream   [5:14]

Grover Washington, Jr. 	- Fairlight, Fender Rhodes, Horn, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Bobby Allende - Percussion
Gabriela Anders - Vocals (Background)
Pablo Batista - Congas, Percussion
John Bolden - Keyboard Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
Randy Bowland – Guitar
Daryl Burgee - Percussion
Ron Carter - Bass (Acoustic)
Ellen Cohen - Bell Tree, Wind Chimes
Jimmy Cozier - Sax (Baritone)
Robin Eubanks – Trombone
Earl Gardner – Trumpet
Sergio George - Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background)
Doug "The Bear" Grisby – Bass
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Billy Hart - Drums
Adam Holzman - Clavinet, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Wurlitzer
Dann Huff - Guitar, Wah Wah Guitar
Phyllis Hyman - Vocals
Ite Jerez - Trumpet
Bill Jolly - Keyboards
Hank Jones - Piano
Lewis Kahn - Trombone
Dionne Knighton - Vocals (Background)
Chip Landry - Vocals (Background)
Bobby Lavell - Sax (Tenor)
Jason Miles – Synthesizer
Cornelius Mims - Bass
George Mraz - Bass
Ray Obiedo – Guitars
Donald Robinson - Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
Ruben Rodriquez – Bass
Jim Salamone - Drums, Keyboards, Linn Drum, Percussion
Ray Sepúlveda 	Vocals (Background)
Dan Shea - Drums, Keyboards, Synthesizer Bass
Grady Tate – Drums
Latesha Thierry - Vocals (Background)
Gerald Veasley 	- Bass
Darryl Washington - Timbales
Bobby Watson - Sax (Alto)
Steve Wolf - Drums
Claude Woods - Vocals (Background)

Grover Washington, Jr.'s fatal 1999 heart attack cut a successful 30-year recording career tragically short. Washington's legacy was his ability to combine jazz and pop by tracing their common roots in R&B and soul music. He found fans among the younger wave of jazz listeners, who were attracted to the sounds of what became known as "smooth jazz."

Washington's jazzier side is highlighted on this retrospective, in addition to his smooth jazz inclinations. Standout tracks include a big band version of "Please Send Me Someone to Love," as well as a version of Ron Carter's "Blues for DP," where he proves he's an effective and skilled jazz saxophonist; his soprano solo is wonderfully constructed. A thought-provoking and varied set of music, PRIME CUTS is a good introduction to Washington's music, as well as an endearing farewell to the father of what could be termed "rhythm & jazz." ---Rovi

One of the most popular saxophonists of all time, Grover Washington, Jr. was long the pacesetter in his field. His roots were in R&B and soul-jazz organ combos, but he also fared very well on the infrequent occasions when he played straight-ahead jazz. A highly influential player, Washington pushed himself with the spontaneity and risk-taking of a masterful jazz musician. Grover Washington, Jr.'s, father also played saxophone and was his first influence. The younger son started playing music when he was ten, and within two years was working in clubs. He picked up experience touring with the Four Clefs from 1959-1963 and freelancing during the next two years, before spending a couple years in the Army. He moved to Philadelphia in 1967, becoming closely identified with the city from then on, and worked with several organists, including Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond Smith, recording as a sideman for the Prestige label. His biggest break occurred in 1971, when Hank Crawford could not make it to a recording date for Creed Tasylor's Kudu label; Washington was picked as his replacement, and the result was Inner City Blues, a big seller. From then on he became a major name, particularly after recording 1975's Mister Magic and Feels So Good, and later 1980's Winelight; the latter included the Bill Withers hit "Just the Two of Us." Although some of his recordings since then found him coasting a bit, Washington usually stretched himself in concert. He developed his own personal voices on soprano, tenor, alto, and even his infrequently-used baritone. Grover Washington Jr. recorded as a leader for Kudu, Motown, Elektra, and Columbia and made notable guest appearances on dozens of records ranging from pop to straightforward jazz. He died of a sudden heart attack on December 17, 1999 while taping an appearance on CBS television's The Saturday Early Show; Washington was 56. The posthumous Aria was issued early the following year. ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

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Grover Washington, Jr. - Winelight (1980)

2016-09-20T13:06:26Z

Grover Washington, Jr. - Winelight (1980)


01. Winelight   [7:36]
02. Let It Flow (For 'Dr. J')   [5:55]
03. In the Name of Love   [5:31]
04. Take Me There   [6:19]
05. Just the Two of Us   [7:27]
06. Make Me a Memory (Sad Samba)   [6:38]

Arranged By, Conductor – Bill Eaton
Backing Vocals – Hilda Harris, Ullanda McCullough, Yvonne Lewis
Bass – Marcus Miller
Congas, Percussion, Electronic Drums [Syndrums] – Ralph MacDonald
Drums – Steve Gadd
Guitar – Eric Gale
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr.
Steel Drums – Robert Greenidge
Synthesizer [Oberheim 8-Voice Synthesizer] – Ed Walsh

When Grover Washington, Jr. passed away in 1999 the jazz world lost one of its most successful and talented creators, and in his wake a slew of saxophonists have stepped up to fill the void. None have. Philadelphia jazz deejay Bob Perkins said, of Washington, a native of the City of Brotherly Love, "He was the originator of smooth jazz, and all the rest—Najee, Kenny G—followed him."

It is absolutely true that Washington was, along with George Benson, one of the founding fathers of smooth jazz and following the monster hit that was the Grammy-winning Winelight it wasn't long before the saxophone became, along with the electric guitar, the two most preeminent instruments in the genre. For better or worse (and there's an argument to be made for either side), Washington blazed a trail many others have followed, with varying degrees of success.

Within the crowed group of smooth jazz saxophonists there are a few originals following their own muse and blazing their trails of their own. Regretfully, the vast majority bland cookie cutter clones slavishly hacking out infinite versions of the R&B/jazz fusion of "Mister Magic" and "Just the Two of Us" without bringing anything fresh to the table. Smooth jazz is stuck in a rut of safe sax where nothing is risked and nobody wants to step out of their comfort zone. Real jazz is all about taking risks, not playing it safe.

Washington was not so much a daring innovator as much as he was a solid musician who had paid his dues as part of Creed Taylor's CTI and Kudu record labels, where the music was glossy and the album jackets were distinctive. Washington was labelmates with Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Bob James, Hubert Laws and Esther Phillips to name but a few of the artists on the CTI roster.

With his move to Elektra Records, in 1980 Washington uncorked Winelight. Predictably, it reached number one on Billboard's Top Jazz, but then it crossed over to other charts. The album went to number five on Billboard's Pop Albums, number two Top Soul Albums and "Just the Two of Us" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed there for three weeks. The album would go on to win two Grammy awards.

The quiet greatness of Winelight has not faded 35 years after its release. It's far and away the best album of Washington's long career. The slip n' slide funk of "Mister Magic" put Washington on the map, but Winelight was the evidence he could flat out play.

Washington would go on to record 11 more albums before his horn fell silent, but none approached the all-time high of Winelight. Not much of Washington's extensive catalog garners much airplay beyond "Mister Magic," "Let It Flow" and "Just the Two of Us," and that's a shame because he continued to make some interesting albums at Columbia which deserve to be heard. Perhaps this new reissued and limited edition multichannel 5.1 SACD release will rekindle a discovery of the extensive Washington discography.

The Surround Sound remix was produced by Ralph MacDonald, the renowned percussionist who also co-wrote "Just the Two of Us" and shared production duties on Winelight with Washington. MacDonald died in 2011. Other notable musicians include drummer Steve Gadd, guitarist Eric Gale and a 21-year-old wizard on bass by name of Marcus Miller.

The only complaint with the remastered release is the absence of any bonus tracks or new liner notes. It is a missed opportunity not to provide some details and insights into the recording process or how Washington and McDonald convinced the reclusive Withers to provide the vocals for "Just the Two of Us."

When most lists of the Top 25 Jazz Albums of All Time are compiled, Winelight is nowhere to be seen. It likely wouldn't make the top 100 for the truly hardcore fan who likes their music with a rougher edge than smooth jazz provides. No way does it knock a Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme, Time Out or Blue Trane off the list, but when the list includes the 25 most influential jazz albums, Winelight belongs in there as much as Head Hunters or Breezin' for taking jazz into a brand new direction even if everybody wasn't happy with where it went. ---Jeff Winbush, allaboutjazz.com

Grover Washington, Jr., has long been one of the leaders in what could be called rhythm & jazz, essentially R&B-influenced jazz. Winelight is one of his finest albums, and not primarily because of the Bill Withers hit "Just the Two of Us." It is the five instrumentals that find Washington (on soprano, alto, and tenor) really stretching out. If he had been only interested in sales, Washington's solos could have been half as long and he would have stuck closely to the melody. Instead he really pushes himself on some of these selections, particularly the title cut. A memorable set of high-quality and danceable soul-jazz. ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

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