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SOUL, FUNK and JAZZ FUSION
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"…I Want To Spend Some Time With
You…"
I can vividly
recall being in London on a warm spring Saturday morning in April 1981 (on
Holiday from Dublin). Have graduated the year previous from Rock to Soul Music
in a big way - I sauntered into the "Record Shack"- Funk Specialists
located in the fruit and veg market area of Berwick Street in Soho. Up on the
wall was 'Jazz Fusion' album of the month - "Winelight" by GROVER
WASHINGTON, Jr.
I'd no idea at
the time that it had been a Jazz sensation in the States for over 6 months -
crossing over big time to the Pop realm - nominated for two Grammys (and
winning). Then the guy behind the counter put the needle down for the umpteenth
time that day. I only had to hear the first minutes of its title track and
bought it immediately. And it's been on my turntable and on Jazz Radio Station
playlists ever since. Here are the uncorked details...
UK released
January 2001 - "Winelight" by GROVER WASHINGTON, Jr. on Warners Jazz/Elektra
Masters 7559-62608-2 (Barcode 075596260824) is a straightforward transfer of
the 1980 Elektra Records LP onto Remastered CD that breaks down as follows
(39:14 minutes):
1. Winelight
[Side 1]
2. Let It Flow
(For "Dr. J")
3. In The Name
Of Love
4. Take Me There
[Side 2]
5. Just The Two
Of Us [vocals Bill Withers]
6. Make Me A
Memory (Sad Samba)
Tracks 1 to 6
are the album "Winelight" released November 1980 in the USA on
Elektra Records 7E-305 and April 1981 in the UK on Elektra Records K 52262. It
rose to Number 2 on the US Billboard R&B charts and Number 5 on Billboards
Pop charts (UK Number 34 on the Pop charts in May 1981).
The gatefold
digipak features the generic 'Warner Jazz' and 'Elektra Masters' logos on the
front and rear - you get a very basic gatefold inlay with notes on the album by
Chrissie Murray, then Editor of Jazzwise magazine. The inner gatefold flap has
all the session details - a huge array of top musicians that are now household
names to Soul, Funk and Jazz lovers - Washington, Jr on Alto, Soprano and Tenor
Saxophones, Ralph MacDonald on Percussion (he also co-wrote "In The Name
Of Love" with William Salter and "Just The Two Of us" with Bill
Withers and William Salter), Marcus Miller on Bass, Steve Gadd on Drums, Eric
Gale on Guitar and Richard Tee on Keyboards. Bill Withers famously provides
vocals on "Just The Two Of Us" (a USA R&B Number 3 hit, Number 2
in the Pop charts).
The remaster is
lovely too (doesn't say who did) - warm and sexy. Speaking of which - it isn't
just that the "Winelight" album is Funky - it's sensual - in a way
that many records after it tried to chase and more often than not - failed.
"Winelight" also scored by only having 3 tracks on each side - each
beautifully produced (Washington, Jr and MacDonald did the Production) and
Engineered (Richard Alderson). Songs often come at you sideways -
like the gorgeous "Make Me A Memory (Sad Samba)" indeed poured out of
your speakers like good wine with friends. Try resisting that sensational bass
into to "Let It Flow (For "Dr. J") that slinks out of your
speakers like the love-child of Steely Dan's "Aja" - fabulous stuff.
This CD and most
titles in the Elektra Masters series are dirt-cheap now (2019) - often less
than three quid from some online retailers. Forget Sainsbury's Chardonnay -
here's a glass of aural class for an awful lot less and with a far sweeter
aftertaste...
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