Ernie Watts - Chariots Of Fire (1981)

Great album. Ernie's proficiency comes through on Chariots of Fire followed by other funk-jazz infused tracks, obviously with Quincy's production influence. A delightful listen overall! ~ Pa Colin, Amazon.com. 

On this album saxophonist Ernie Watts blows in all directions and can easily be considered one of the masterpieces of Qwest Records led by producer Quincy Jones. The theme was the title song composed by Vangelis for "Chariots of Fire" which won the Best Picture Award at the 54th Academy Awards, and arranged by Michael Omartian. Ernie is joined by some great musicians including: Keyboardists Richard Tee, Don Grusin, Greg Phillinganes; guitarists Steve Lukather, David E. Williams, bassist Neil Stubenhaus and drummer John Robinson to name a few. Overall, a disco-fusion flavoured sound that will entertain even the most discerning of listeners, Enjoy! 

Qwest Records, QW 56 982, 1982
Qwest Records, WPCR-28018, 2014
Recorded 19th-31st October, 1981 at Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, California 

Musicians:
Ernie Watts - Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute, Percussion, Vocals
Larry Hall - Trumpet
Jerry Hey - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn Arrangements
Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone, Trumpet
Don Grusin - Keyboards, Piano [Electric], Synthesizer
James Ingram - Keyboards, Rhythm & Vocal Arranger, Vocal Effect, Vocals
Michael Omartian - Keyboards, Piano, Strings, Arranger
Greg Phillinganes - Synthesizer, Synthesizer Bass
Richard Tee - Keyboards, Piano [Electric]
Ian Underwood - Synthesizer
Steve Lukather - Guitar
Carlos Rios - Guitar
David E. Williams - Guitar [Rhythm]
Neil Stubenhaus - Bass
John "J.R." Robinson - Drums
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Quincy Jones - Percussion, Rhythm Arrangements
Howard Hewett, Phillip Ingram - Vocals 

Tracks:
A1. Chariots Of Fire [Theme] (Dance Version) {Vangelis} (5:55)
A2. Hold On {James Ingram, Quincy Jones} (4:25)
A3. Lady {Lionel B. Richie Jr.} (3:49)
A4. Gigolo {Quincy Jones, Merria Ross} (4:36)
B1. Valdez In The Country {Donny Hathaway} (5:14)
B2. Abraham's Theme {Vangelis} (3:46)
B3. Five Circles {Vangelis} (3:40)
B4. Chariots Of Fire [Theme] (Slow Version) {Vangelis} (4:27) 

Total Time: 35:56 

Credits:
Producer, Liner Notes - Quincy Jones
Recording & Mixing - Bruce Swedien [Acusonic]
Mastering - Bernie Grundman
Art Direction & Design - Art Sim [11:24 Design]
Photography - Bobby Holland 

UK 12" Special Dance Mix

Ernie Watts - Sanctuary (1986)

This Qwest project was a typical crossover project for Ernie Watts, who recorded a series of commercial sets for Elektra and Qwest. The rhythms are danceable; Watts displays attractive tones on tenor, alto, and soprano; the supporting cast includes top L.A. studio musicians; Don Grusin contributes keyboards and electronic rhythms; among the many vocalists are Larry Williams and Phil Perry; and guitarist Lee Ritenour pops up on a few numbers. Ernie Watts would soon start recording more creative jazz and start to realize his potential, which is largely wasted on this effort. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

 

Qwest Records, 9 25513-1, 1986
Recorded at Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, California;
and Additional at Starlight Studio, Malibu, California. 

Musicians:
Ernie Watts - Alto (#A1,A3,B1,B3), Soprano (#A2,B1), Tenor (#A2,A4,B2,B4)
Larry Williams - Synth Voice (#A1), Funny Horns (#A2), Horse Hoofs (#A3),
Synth Horn (#B1), Synth Strings (#B4), Vocals [Background]
Don Grusin - Keyboards, Drum & Synthesizer Programming, Vocal Arranger
Lee Ritenour - Guitar (#A1,A3,B2)
Carlos Rios - Guitar (#A2,B3)
Abraham Laboriel, Sr. - Bass (#A4,B2)
Nathan East - Bass (#B1)
John Robinson - Drums (#A1-A3,B3)
Carlos Vega - Drums (#A4,B1)
Paulinho da Costa - Percussion (#A1,A2,B2)
Alex Acuña - Drums (#B2), Percussion (#B2,B4)
Phil Perry - Vocals (#A2,A4,B3), Background Vocals (#A1), Arranger [Vocals]
Kevin Dorsey, Aladrain Elmore, Roy Galloway, Siedah Garrett, Kate Markowitz,
Lillain Tynes Perry, Darryl Phinnessee, Oren Waters - Background Vocals 

Tracks:
A1. Taj {Don Grusin} (4:11)
A2. She Feels Good {Don Grusin} (3:53)
A3. Cowboy Dreams {Don Grusin} (4:22)
A4. Homeland {Phil Perry, Don Grusin} (4:55)
B1. Chinook {Don Grusin} (5:30)
B2. Sanctuary {Ernie Watts} (5:20)
B3. City Speak {Don Grusin} (4:18)
B4. The Peace Offering {Ernie Watts} (3:22) 

Total Time: 35:51 

Credits:
Producer - Ernie Watts
Producer, Mixing [Digital], Arranger - Don Grusin
Executive-Producer - Quincy Jones
Recording Engineer, Mixing [Digital] - Geoff Gillette
Additional Engineering - Don Murray
Assistant Engineer, Digital Mixing - Stan Katayama
Assistant Engineer - Terry Bower
Mastering - Wally Traugott
Art Direction, Design - Gabrielle Raumberger 

"Deep within our souls is a place of peace and love,
where there is no hate, no war, no competition.
This is our true homeland - our sanctuary of the heart."

Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson - The Two Of Us (1984)

Now this is a great album but, fact is this isn’t a full one duet album between Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson. It's primarily a Ramsey Lewis solo album with his regular band featuring a handful of songs featuring Nancy on vocals. After the generally more 70's styled production of ‘Les Fleurs’ it became time for Ramsey to start more heavily acknowledging the more electronic/synthesizer sounds of the mid 80's. For that he went to none other than Stanley Clarke who the same year was heading in the exact same direction with his ‘Time Exposure’. There are two numbers that really point to that concept better than anything else. Both are electro-funk/break dance type numbers that, while very modern for their time are still rooted strongly in 70's style jazz-funk arrangements and rhythms as opposed to more brittle hip-hop/electronica beats. "Ram" is the faster of the two tunes with some sparse vocals and Ramsey working his Chicago style soul-jazz piano anywhere he finds a place for it. "Breaker Beat”, being more midtempo is the funkier of the two and has some great 80's jazz-funk synthesizer swirls to boot. "Quiet Storm" has a more fluid Grover Washington Jr. style groove and relies heavy of Paul Jackson holding the trio rhythm section into place. "Closer Than Close" is a similarly styled vocal piece but the vocal is by the fine male singer Daryl Coley, not Nancy Wilson. She does show up on three elegantly produced and arranged urban R&B/pop/jazz tunes "Midnight Rendezvous","Slippin' Away”, “Never Wanna Say Goodnight" and the title song, all of which find a balance between the "retro nuevo" sound of Anita Baker and Will Downing later in the decade and what people like Patti Austin and James Ingram was doing around this same time. In that respect it captures urban contemporary vocal pop/jazz as it were in a state of transition. The final cut on the album is an original Ramsey composition "Song With Words [Remembering]” a swirling solo piano number that interestingly enough would've been just about perfect for Nancy's vocals but actually survives more than well on its own without it. As a Nancy Wilson duet album this isn't particularly complete though all of her contributions are strong additions to the album. As it stands this is an excellent Ramsey Lewis album and one of his very finest of the period. ~ Andre S. Grindle, Amazon.com. 

Columbia Records, FC 39326, 1984
Sony Records, SICP 20298, 2011
Recorded & Mixed at Mad Hatter Studio & Sound Castle Studio, Los Angeles, California 

Musicians:
Ramsey Lewis - Concert Grand Piano [Steinway]
Nancy Wilson - Vocals (#5), Lead Vocals (#2,4,7)
Don Freeman - Keyboards (#2,4,5,7,8)
Vassal Benford - Piano (#5,8)
Robert Brookins - Synthesizer (#1,3,6)
Rory Kaplan - Synthesizer (#7,8)
Paul Jackson Jr. - Guitar (#1-8)
Stanley Clarke - Bass (#2), Sitar (#5)
Freddie Washington - Bass (#2,4,7)
John Robinson - Drums (#2,4)
Ricky Lawson - Drums (#7,8)
Daryl Coley - Vocals (#5), Lead Vocals (#8)
Lynn Davis - Backing Vocals (#2,4,7)
Josie James - Backing Vocals (#4)
Frieda Woody, Backing Vocals (#7)
Marcy Levy - Backing Vocals (#7)
Celia Kitengeth - Narrator (#1)
George Del Barrio - Arranger [Strings]
Barbara Hunter, Bill Hughes, Bonnie Douglas, Brenton Banks, Catherine Gotthoffer,
Christine Ermacoff, James Getzoff,, Janet Lakatos, Karen Jones, Murray Adler,
Norman Carr, Paul, Roland Kato, Ronald Folsom - Strings (#1,5) 

Tracks:
1. Ram {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke} (5:15)
2. Midnight Rendezvous {David Roberts} (3:53)
3. Breaker Beat {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke, Robert Brookins} (4:17)
4. Slippin' Away {David Foster, David Paich, Leon Ware} (4:45)
5. The Two Of Us {Jeremy Lubbock, Vassal Benford} (4:32)
6. Quiet Storm {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke} (4:14)
7. Never Wanna Say Goodnight {Ellen Schwartz, Franne Golde, Roger Bruno} (3:15)
8. Closer Than Close {Patrick Henderson, Vassal Benford} (4:56)
9. Song Without Words [Remembering] {Ramsey Lewis} (5:04) 

Total Time: 40:14 

Credits:
Producer - Stanley Clarke
Executive-Producer - Dr. George Butler
Engineer - Erik Zobler
Engineer [Assistant] - Duncan Aldrich, Gary Wagner, Jeff Vaughn, Mitch Gibson, Paul Erikson
Remixing Engineer - Don Hahn
Mastering - Bernie Grundman
Photography - Norman Seef
Design [Album] - John Berg
Liner Notes - Lawrence Tanter, Yvonne Daniels 

The Two Of Us