Grover Washington, Jr.'s
sophomore date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was released in late 1972. Like
its predecessor Inner City Blues, this session was produced by the label boss
himself and was arranged and conducted by Bob James. Assembled for the date
were large horn and string sections. The former contained stalwart talents like
Detroit's Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and trumpeters Marvin Stamm and
Ernie Royal. Other players on the session included what would become the heart
of the CTI session crew: guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, bassists Ron
Carter and Gordon Edwards (who only appears on the opening cut), drummer Idris
Muhammad (though Billy Cobham is also here), and percussionists like Airto
Moreira and Ralph MacDonald. The real star of course is the soloist.
Washington's debut, Inner City Blues, had done surprisingly well - especially
since it was a date originally intended for Hank Crawford who couldn't make the
scene. This time out, both Taylor and James played to Washington's tremendous
strengths as an emotional player whose melodic improvising referenced
everything from Motown to Stax and Volt, from Ray Charles to early James Brown
and the Fabulous Flames, to Donny Hathaway, who had an uncanny knack with
current pop hits. James too was discovering his own strengths in this field as
a pianist and really shines behind Washington on tracks like "Where Is the
Love," (written by MacDonald, actually), and Bill Withers' "Lean on
Me." Washington was equally versed on both tenor and alto and possesses
two very different tones on the horns. This gave James the opportunity to color
the tunes with a rather startling array of colors, shades, and textures, making
the two a wonderful team. Along with the aforementioned winners are the title
track by Aretha Franklin with the slow, deep blue saxophone lines accompanied
by hand percussion, a tight snare and hi-hat kit rhythm, and James ghostly
chords on the Fender Rhodes. But the large backdrop of horns lends so much
weight to the tune it almost breaks wide open. Then there's the gorgeous - and
radical-re-envisioning of "Body and Soul," as a montage illustrated
wonderfully by James impressionistic strings and woodwinds underneath
Washington's bluesy take on the melody. The standard "Lover Man" is
reintroduced here and includes a new interlude written by James. Washington's
playing on the tune is actually reminiscent of Crawford's in feel (during his
time with Ray Charles), but Washington also evokes Ben Webster in the chances
he takes improvising on his solo. As if all this weren't adventurous enough,
the set closes with "Love Song 1700," an adaptation from a song by
classical composer Henry Purcell. Here is the genius of James at work. His love
for Purcell and classical composition of this era shows up throughout his
career, but the way he orchestrates strings and winds behind Washington - who
could inject pure soul into even the dullest music of Lawrence Welk - is
provocative, lovely, and haunting, even in its more overblown moments. When All
the King's Horses was originally released, it wasn't received as well as Inner
City Blues had been the previous year. In retrospect, however, this set has
assumed its proper place in Washington's catalog: as one of his more ambitious
and expertly performed sessions. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG.
Kudu Records, KU-07, 1972
Recorded 19th May-June,
1972 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Personnel:
Grover Washington, Jr. - Alto
Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Alan Rubin, Ernie Royal,
Snooky Young, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Paul Faulise, Tony Studd,
Wayne Andre - Trombone
Brooks Tillotson, Donald
Corrado, Fred Klein, Ray Alonge - French Horn
George Marge - Alto
Saxophone, Flute, English Horn, Oboe, Recorder
Pepper Adams - Baritone
Saxophone
Arthur Clarke - Baritone
Saxophone, Flute
Bob James - Electric Piano,
Harpsichord
Richard Tee - Organ
Cornell Dupree, David
Spinozza, Eric Gale - Guitar (#A1-B1,B3)
Gene Bertoncini - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Gordon Edwards - Bass (#A1)
Bernard Purdie - Drums
Billy Cobham - Drums
(#A4,B2,B3)
Ralph MacDonald - Congas
Airto Moreira - Percussion
Strings:
Margaret Ross - Harp
Charles McCracken, George
Ricci - Cello
Emanuel Vardi, Richard
Dickler - Viola
Alexander Cores, Bernard
Eichen, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff,
Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, John Pintaualle,
Max Ellen, Paul Gershman - Violin
Tracks:
A1. No Tears, In The End {Ralph
MacDonald, William Salter} (3:49)
A2. All The King's Horses
{Aretha Franklin} (3:48)
A3. Where Is The Love {Ralph
MacDonald, William Salter} (5:07)
A4. Body And Soul [Montage]
{Heyman, Sour, Eyton, Green} (3:02)
B1. Lean On Me {Bill Withers}
(4:25)
B2. Lover Man {Jimmy Davis,
Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez}
Interlude #2 {Bob James} (7:01)
B3. Love Song 1700 {Adapted
ex Henry Purcell, Arr. Bob James} (4:51)
Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Recording Engineer - Rudy van
Gelder
Arranger, Conductor - Bob
James
Design [Album] - Bob Ciano
Photography [Album] - Pete Turner
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