Dave Grusin - Night-Lines (1984)

This album is a mixed bag, for sure. There's the usual Grusin tracks that sound like his award-winning work for movies and TV plus some filler tracks that sound like Grusin was just playing around with the latest synths (Yamaha GS2 & DZ7, OBX, Fairlight) to see what they could do. But the better tracks on this album are a cover and a couple of West Coast/AOR tracks from Randy Goodrum.

Recorded at a time when the words "all digital recording" were cutting edge so it made sense to plaster "Digital Master" on the front cover and brand the GRP label as "The Digital Master Company."

CD liner notes.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "Grusin pushes a little deeper into the pop sphere"
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #4
• CashBox: #160
• CashBox Jazz: #2
• Radio & Records Jazz National Airplay: #1

Tracks: I can't tell if singer Phoebe Snow ever heard Sly Stone's Thankful N' Thoughtful from the Fresh album, but it's obvious David Sanborn and Marcus Miller grew up with it because they take the cover of that tune to another level. It was released as both a 7" and 12" single but failed to chart. There's two tunes written and sung by Randy Goodrum here which have him sounding a lot like Stephen Bishop. The better of those two is Haunting Me, but the other, Tick Tock, has its moments. Goodrum also co-wrote a ballad with Dave Loggins, Somewhere Between Old And New York, which is sung by Snow and there's not much to get excited about. There's the theme from the TV show St. Elsewhere which peaked at #15 on the Adult Contemporary chart in '84. Also included is a track from Grusin's soundtrack to the movie Racing With The Moon.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Amparo (2008) (with Lee Ritenour)
Two Worlds (2000) (with Lee Ritenour)
Collection (1989)
Harlequin (1985) (with Lee Ritenour)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - Two Worlds (2000)

In which two very talented musicians who made their reputations in the jazz, pop, and soundtrack genres tackle some lite classical music and a few originals in the same vein. I'll take a pass on this one, but let's check out what the ever-reliable reviewers over at Amazon have to say:

• "I'm donating it to my local library."
• "I listened to this album as I was doing some household chores and doing the dishes."
• "smooth and romantic...dim the light"
• "This is a great CD. For me - it makes me feel alive."
• "perfect for my daughter's waiting room--she's a family councilor." [sic]

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Peak on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart: #6

Tracks:

I enjoy track 6, a Ritenour original.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

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Lee Ritenour

Rit's House (2002)	On The Line (1983)
This Is Love (1998)	Rit/2 (1982)
Stolen Moments (1990)	"Rit" (1981)
Festival (1988)	Rio (1979)
Larry & Lee (1995)

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Dave Grusin

Collection (1989)

Out Of The Shadows (1982)

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Together

Amparo (2008)

Harlequin (1985)

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - Amparo (2008)

I picked this CD up from the clearance bin simply because I saw the names Ritenour and Grusin. If I had bothered to check the track listing, I might have seen that it was a classical crossover disc and taken a pass. I didn't, so here we go. There's no doubt this is technically brilliant, just not my thing. In fact, the only classical crossover album that I enjoy hearing is Romances for Saxophone by Branford Marsalis and I haven't even listened to that since 2010. So I'll just say to Lee and Dave, "It's not you, it's me."

Track two, Danzón de Entiqueta, was nominated for the Best Instrumental Composition Grammy award, eventually losing to a John Williams original from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Classical Crossover: #10

Tracks:

1. Tango en Parque Central (Grusin)
2. Danzón de Entiqueta (Grusin)
3. Jeropo Peligroso (Grusin)
4. Pavane, Op. 50 (Gabriel Fauré) featuring Renée Fleming & Joshua Bell
5. My Bonny Boy from English Folk Song Suite (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
6. Since First I Saw Your Face (anonymous, 17^th century) featuring James Taylor
7. Olha Maria (Amparo) (Antônio Carlos Jobim) featuring Joshua Bell
8. Les entrentiens de la Belle et de la Bête from Mother Goose Suite (Maurice Ravel)
9. Échos (Ritenour)
10. Adagio in G minor (Tomaso Albinoni) featuring Chris Botti
11. Duetto: Scherzano sul tuo volto from Rinaldo (George Frederick Handel) featuring Renée Fleming & Chris Botti

Sadly, the only piece I enjoy is track 9, the Ritenour original Échos. If you're familiar with Grusin's film soundtrack work, you'll like his opening suite. I had high hopes for the Fauré and Jobim pieces as well as the James Taylor collaboration but no.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Rit's House (2002)
This Is Love (1998)
Larry & Lee (1995)
Stolen Moments (1990)
Collection (1989)
Festival (1988)
Harlequin (1985)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Dave Grusin - Collection (1989)

A "best of" collection that includes some smooth jazz as well as music written for various TV shows (St. Elsewhere) and movie soundtracks (Tootsie, On Golden Pond). Selections on this compilation are a little dull at times, but what a supporting cast:

Grusin is more well-known for his soundtrack work and, understandably, some of his other work is heavily orchestrated and sounds like it could have been written for a soundtrack of some sort. Grusin has been recording since 1962, but this album was compiled from his work on his own GRP label, 1977-87. The music here is somewhat pleasing, but quite often a bit too cinematic.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #110

Tracks:  11 tracks, 59 minutes. The better tracks include She Could Be Mine, Early A.M. Attitude, and Mountain Dance. I usually skip Playera, Serengeti Walk, and Bossa Baroque. Grusin's theme to St. Elsewhere is good, but to me, it's strange hearing it apart from the show's opening credits.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Harlequin (1985)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)

Dave Grusin & Lee Ritenour - Harlequin (1985)

BRAZIL WEEK (FEBRUARY 4-10, 2013)

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

I bought this album in 1985 and, expecting something more along the lines of Ritenour's Rio album, I was initially disappointed because the opening track had Portuguese vocals by some guy named Lins who I had never heard of before. Now I can laugh at myself as I realize at that time, I was far more interested in Brazilian-influenced smooth jazz than anything resembling music currently coming from Brazil. The three Lins-penned tunes are so far removed from the other music, that it makes for a very uneven release. It's not the best album, but I've heard far worse. Allmusic's one sentence review simply reads, "Ivan Lins and Ritenour almost save the day." That's a bit harsh, but I rarely give this one a listen.

Press of the time:

• Downbeat (★★★): "this might just be the perfect piece of background music you've been searching for."
• CashBox: "polished Latinish fusion that should appeal to fans of both leaders"
• Billboard: "Brazilian-flavored collection"

Album Chart Peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #192
• Billboard Pop CD: #26
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• CashBox: #130
• CashBox CD: #24
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #4

Tracks:  I'm still not much of a fan of the opening track, but I do like Early A.M. Attitude, Before It's Too Late (Antes Que Seja Tarde), and Beyond The Storm (Depois Dos Temporais). Early A.M. Attitude won a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Arrangement. Track 6 is a bizarre little hodge-podge of a piece titled Cats Of Rio that should probably be avoided.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I remember this particular release appearing in magazines' advertisements promoting emerging digital audio tape (DAT) player/recorders in the late '80s. I always thought this was a curious choice, but it was a digitally mastered recording which was relatively new back then.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Larry & Lee (1995)
Festival (1988)
On The Line (1983)
Out Of The Shadows (1982)
"Rit" (1981)
Rio (1979)

Dave Grusin - Out Of The Shadows (1982)

As a composer, arranger, pianist, and producer, Dave Grusin has worn many hats. He's scored movies and TV shows since the late '60s, winning an Oscar in 1989 for his original score to The Milagro Beanfield War (he should get an honorary Emmy solely for writing the awesome theme for the TV series Good Times). On this smooth jazz disc, Grusin surrounds himself with great musicians including guitarist Lee Ritenour and drummer Steve Gadd. For the most part, the music is good, not great, but it does bring back good memories of the times when I would gladly listen to anything and everything I could.

The CD is currently out of print, but digital files are readily available. Like all recordings on the GRP label at the time, the sound quality and production is immaculate.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #88
• Billboard Jazz: #4
• CashBox Jazz: #4
• Radio & Records Radio National Airplay: #1

Tracks: The better tracks are Last Train To Paradiso and She Could Be Mine. My favorite track is the Ritenour-penned Crystal Morning which, like most mornings, doesn't get going right away but slowly builds and awakens. I usually skip Anthem Internationale and Serengeti Walk which both sound like soundtrack work and are out of place here. Sweetwater Nights is a nice closer.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In college, I had a dubbed cassette tape with this on one side and Lee Ritenour's Rio on the other. That was a good pairing and the tape got playing time mainly on the 6 hour trips to see my parents.