This album is pleasurable enough, just not very memorable. I'm not sure what it is about the collaborations between these two that seem to bring out the bland in each other. James has had good collaborations (I'm thinking specifically of Double Vision) and so has Klugh (Laws and Benson come to mind) so I don't know why this one never gets me going. But it was a #1 album so what do I know? I guess it's decent enough for your Sunday jazz brunch next weekend. Whaddaya mean you don't have a jazz brunch every Sunday?
Reviews/ratings:
- CashBox: "an exceptional jazz album"
- Billboard: "a pleasant quartet set that's as elegantly performed as it is emotionally toothless"
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #170
- Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1
- Billboard R&B: #88
Tracks: Of the 12 tracks, 4 were written by Klugh, 5 were written by James, and they wrote one together. I tend to gravitate towards the Klugh originals, the best of which is The Sponge.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
Two of a Kind (1982)
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