Grover Washington, Jr. - Come Morning (1981)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a Japanese import CD.

I don't remember from whom I borrowed the vinyl albums, but somehow I ended up with a C-90 cassette with this album on one side and its 1980 predecessor, Winelight, on the other. Now that I think about it, it might have been a C-60 tape with some creative dubbing/editing involved, but in any case - lemmetellya I wore it out in the '80s everywhere I could play the thing: car stereo, home/dorm stereo, Walkman. And those songs still get plenty of play to this day. Once I moved to compact discs, I bought a CD of Washington's 1985 greatest hits compilation, foolishly thinking that disc would replace the aforementioned tape and I wouldn't need to buy separate CDs of those two albums, both of which I now own on CD, of course.

Simply put, if you liked Winelight, you'll like Come Morning. (I do and I do.) Same writers, same musicians, same producers. The main difference is that Come Morning contains a Bob Marley cover and instead of Bill Withers on vocals, we get Grady Tate.

Press of the time:

• Musician: "the first great Urban Contemporary album"
• Billboard: "The albums [sic] strength lies in the impeccable playing of Washington and the featured musicians"
• CashBox: "light, sax-filled urban jazz sound that's so easy on the ears"
• Record World: "follows the blueprint of his hit-making 'Winelight' LP"
• Stereo Review: "as easy and as comfortable to sink into as a warm bath."
• Downbeat (★★★): "no one can deny his musical abilities"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #28
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• CashBox: #31
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Rolling Stone: #28

Tracks:

Tracks 2, 3, 5, and 6 are included on the aforementioned Anthology, but all the tracks are good 'n smooth.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: One of three places to buy records and tapes in my small hometown was the downtown Radio Shack. I spent many hours in that place not only looking for music purchases, but checking out all the cool electronic gear, accessories, and circuitry gadgets in the place. At least once I overstayed my welcome and was run out of the store by the owner's wife. She was a cranky old thing, but I think the real reason I was asked to leave was because I wasn't spending any money. So I would climb on my blue Sears 10 speed bike and pedal, still penniless, back home.

Late one afternoon when I was visiting said Radio Shack after school, a young teacher I recognized from school walked in. His name was Mr. Kennedy and he taught science at the school although I never had any classes with him. I believe he was only at the school for the 1981-82 school year. In any case, it's always rare to see teachers in the wild so I took particular notice. To be fair, he probably didn't know who I was and couldn't have cared less that I was there. The only reason I mention Mr. Kennedy is because he bought a cassette of Come Morning that afternoon and suddenly became much cooler in my opinion.

One weekend around 8-10 years back, I went on a vinyl buying binge and picked up a used copy of this album at Antone's in Austin for a buck. A few years later, I bought this CD and I passed that vinyl copy on to my son who had developed a love of GW Jr through the aforementioned Winelight album. He loves both albums, spins them often, and claims his 3 roommates love the albums as well. I'm doing what I can to spread light, love, and knowledge among Gen Z. Please remember these facts as you fill out your ballots for Father of the Year 2021.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (1999)
All My Tomorrows (1994)
Time Out of Mind (1989)
Anthology of Grover Washington, Jr. (1985)
The Best Is Yet To Come (1982)
Winelight (1980)
Skylarkin' (1980)
Mister Magic (1975)