Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.
In the early to mid '80s, I was a big Sanborn fan. I'll still pick up his stuff if I see it, but I'm not as compulsive about the latest releases as I once was. In any case, because I listened to him often in high school, I always think that particular period of his career, when he teamed up with Marcus Miller, was his best. Whether that's actually true or not is another discussion entirely. Anyway, this release fits into that era. If you edit out 2 of the weaker tracks, this is a great late-night album.
Reviews/ratings:
- DownBeat: ★★★★
- Billboard: "straightforward pop and soul melodies framed by taut rhythm work and lush keyboard and vocal as foils for Sanborn's signature alto sax phrases"
- Stereo Review: "expert but too long"
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #81
- Billboard R&B: #21
- Billboard Jazz: #1
- CashBox: #76
- CashBox: #1
- Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #1
Tracks: I like 6 of the 8 tracks. The only ones I'll usually skip are Believer and Blue Beach. Highlights are I Told U So, A Tear For Crystal, and a cover of the Gladys Knight hit, Neither One Of Us.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This cassette got a lot of playing time in late '83 & '84 on the Pioneer deck in the Markmobile. And with other members of the high school jazz band, I saw Sanborn in support of this album in October 1983 at the Kool Jazz Festival in Jones Hall, Houston. In total, ten of us attended. I think we just all piled into Dr. Johnston's station wagon and flew down the Southwest Freeway on our way to downtown Houston. Check out the price on the ticket stub below: $12.50! That wouldn't even cover Ticketmaster's "convenience charge" these days.
Previously revisited for the blog:
The Best of (1994)
A Change of Heart (1987)
Voyeur (1981)
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