UK import
A remastered two-fer reissue from the Hawaiian band (1974-82) who created sophisticated, uplifting soft rock featuring silky harmonies, jazz-funk grooves, polished arrangements, and - most importantly - tasty horn licks. Why are the horn parts so important? Founding band member and trumpeter Jerry Hey wrote most of the band's characteristic horn arrangements. When Seawind moved from Hawaii to California in the mid-1970s, the "Seawind Horns" quickly developed a reputation among studio musicians and producers. Quincy Jones discovered Hey's talents and he became the go-to horn arranger/player in many Los Angeles studios.
It's not an exaggeration to call Hey one of the most important horn arrangers in the history of pop music. He's been nominated for 11 Grammy awards and won 6 of them. Yeah, that's Jerry on albums by Michael Jackson, Al Jarreau, Toto, Chicago, and Earth, Wind & Fire, among many others. When I was in high school, I read a lot of album credits (because I didn't have many dates but that's a story for another time), and noticed the same three names appeared with some frequency on many of the records I purchased: guitarist Steve Lukather, bassist Nathan East, and Jerry Hey. More on Hey from this 2016 interview.
The above band photo was taken from an article in DownBeat magazine (August 8, 1979) titled "The Second Generation of Fusion" that featured Seawind along with Spyro Gyra, Auracle, and Caldera. As you might imagine, the article's tone was passively condescending and dismissive. Screw 'em - I dig this stuff.
LIGHT THE LIGHT (1979)
8 tracks, 37 minutes
8 tracks, 37 minutes
Produced by Tommy LiPuma, this was the band's third album release and the only one on Horizon, a subsidiary imprint of A&M Records.
Press of the time:
- CashBox: "Seawind's first album for Horizon may be the label's best effort yet."
- Billboard: "aiming toward a more pop commercial idiom"
- Record World: "the debut for their new label is an auspicious one"
- DownBeat (★★½): "rhythm section is authoritative on funk yet durable on ballads"
- High Fidelity: "essentially derivative"
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #143
- Billboard Jazz: #8
- CashBox: #127
- CashBox Jazz: #9
- Record World Jazz: #7
Tracks: The lead track, Hold On To Love, was released as a single and peaked at #70 on Billboard's R&B chart, but didn't see the Hot 100. The whole thing is very 'yachty' and all 8 tracks go down smooth. Reminds me more than a little of stuff from Crackin'. According to the seven pages of informative liner notes, the centerpiece of the album is the ballad Follow Your Road. The most jazz-oriented pieces are the instrumentals Morning Star and Enchanted Dance.
SEAWIND (1980)
9 tracks, 39 minutes
9 tracks, 39 minutes
Produced by George Duke, this was the band's only release on A&M and is pop-oriented compared to its predecessors. I'd compare it more to the sound of The Dude or Sergio Mendes. I wouldn't call this jazz by any means, but it did well on the jazz charts, so what do I know. And as much as I like Light The Light, I prefer this one.
Press of the time:
- Record World: "this group's heartbeat is in the rhythm section"
- Note: I find it odd that the group's first release on a major label got so little press coverage. And yet it turned out to be more successful. Go figure.
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #83
- Billboard R&B: #20
- Billboard Jazz: #13
- CashBox: #101
- CashBox Jazz: #6
- Record World Jazz: #5
Tracks: Again, the first track on the album was released as a single. A great, funky track titled What'Cha Doin', it peaked at #18 R&B and #28 dance. The next track, The Two Of Us, was also released as a single and although deserving, it failed to chart. The rest is more of the same and that's a good thing. Only one instrumental this time around, Pra Vosé written by the band's guitarist Bub Nuanez, which sounds like a Brazilian tune from an Earl Klugh album.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but I sure wish someone had given a copy of that Seawind album to young Mark back in 1980.
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