Charlie Earland - Whip Appeal (1990) [re-rip]

Here’s another great album by the ‘Mighty Burner’ Charles Earland; an excellent late CD produced by Houston Person and recorded by the master engineer Rudy van Gelder. For this album Earland assembles a fantastic crew of old and newer blood and without any doubt there are no dead spots. Half the tracks are his; the rest either well-known or ideally suited to Earland’s interpretation. Issued on the now defunct Muse label and not so easily found. The listener is in store for a pure ride of sheer entertainment. Highlights include the old school guys Person and Coles doing their stuff and the newer ones in particular Newell’s rich soprano sax and Block’s stunning guitar work. Of much importance is Killian’s conga playing, something that consistently drives the rhythm to enable Earland ‘s organ to soar. If you dug his previous work don’t miss this fine album.

A jazz version of Babyface's "Whip Appeal"? It's hard to believe, but then, Charles Earland has always had an impressive ability to recontextualize pop and R&B songs that seem the most unlikely vehicles for jazz improvisation. On this fine CD, which marked the end of his association with Muse Records, Earland transforms that urban contemporary number into hard-swingin' soul-jazz, successfully revisits the Spiral Starecase's "More Today Than Yesterday," and adds a lot of grit and spice to something not exactly known for those things: Kenny G's "Songbird." The latter does have a pretty melody, and it becomes quite soulful in the imaginative hands of Earland -- whose excellent support includes fellow Philadelphian Johnny Coles (flugelhorn) and longtime ally Houston Person (tenor sax). ~ by Alex Henderson, AMG.

Muse Records, MCD 5409, 1994

Recorded 23^rd May, 1990 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Charles Earland - Organ

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone

Johnny Coles - Flugelhorn

Jeff Newell - Soprano & Alto Saxophones

Robert Block - Guitar

Marvin Jones - Drums

Lawrence Killian - Percussion, Congas

Tracks:

1. Songbird {Kenny G, Kenny Gorelick, Jesse Colin Young} (6:31)

2. Whip Appeal {Babyface, Perri Arnette Smith} (8:43)

3. Burner's Desire {Charles Earland} (7:08)

4. No Brain, No Pain {Charles Earland} (3:47)

5. Eight After Ten {Charles Earland} (7:21)

6. More Today Than Yesterday {Pat Upton} (8:05)

Credits:

Producer - Houston Person

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design - Ron Warwell

Photography - Fred Salaff, Rick Laird

Liner Notes - Neil Tesser