Kenny Burrell & Grover Washington, Jr. - Togethering (1985)

In 1984, Capitol/EMI hired record exec Bruce Lundvall away from Elektra/Musician to be in charge of two major undertakings: 1) the launch of the Manhattan label, and 2) the resurrection of the legendary Blue Note jazz label, which had gone dormant in the late 1970s. As far as the Blue Note relaunch, Lundvall had three goals: reissuing classic releases from the Blue Note heyday, releasing older music from the record label's vaults, and new releases from both established and emerging acts. This release was one of the latter.

As a fan of both Burrell and Washington (and all the other players, for that matter), I had high hopes for this album, but it just doesn't do much for me. The playing is surberb in this all-star, top-shelf session; so I guess it's the material that lets me down. Judging by the reviews below, I'm in the minority.

Liner notes by Burrell and Washington.

Burrell - acoustic and electric guitar
Washington - soprano and tenor saxophone
Ron Carter - bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums
Ralph MacDonald - percussion

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: "an excellent, straight-ahead album"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #16
• CashBox Jazz: #8
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #2

Tracks: I enjoy the second track, a samba entitled Sails Of Your Soul, and the third track, the ballad Daydream.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Grover Washington, Jr.
Prime Cuts 1987-1999 (1999)	The Best Is Yet To Come (1982)
Soulful Strut (1996)	Come Morning (1981)
All My Tomorrows (1994)	Winelight (1980)
Time Out of Mind (1989)	Skylarkin' (1980)
Anthology (1985)	Mister Magic (1975)
Inside Moves (1984)/Paradise (1979)	A Secret Place (1976)/All The King's Horses (1972)
Kenny Burrell
Have Yourself A Soulful Little Christmas (1966)	Midnight Blue (1963)

Grover Washington, Jr. - A Secret Place (1976)/All The King's Horses (1972)

The saxophonist's sixth and second albums, originally issued on the Kudu label, combined in 1986 by Motown Records for this two-for-one reissue. Both albums were recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studios and produced by Creed Taylor, best known for his work on his own CTI record label. Washington appears on soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, often overdubbing duets with himself.

This is where I would normally complain about the fact that Motown didn't pair consecutive album releases or, at the very least, sequence them chronologically. However, these two work well together and in this order. Go figure.

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A SECRET PLACE (1976)
4 tracks, 34 minutes

According to the advertisement below, before the terms "contemporary jazz" and "smooth jazz" were coined, the genre was known as "crossover jazz." No matter the nomenclature, I dig the stuff and this album shows that crossover jazz can lean more to the jazz side of things. These four tracks, each clocking in at over 8 minutes, have laid back R&B grooves to be sure, but there's a good deal of room on each track for the soloists to stretch out. There's plenty of familiar names in the playing credits, including Dave Grusin, Eric Gale, and Ralph MacDonald. 

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "a surprisingly laid back effort"
• Downbeat (★★): "flirts with boredom the way some recordings flirt with inspiration"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #31
• Billboard R&B: #7
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• CashBox: #48
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #1

Tracks: Two originals by Washington, a popish tune from drummer Harvey Mason, and a fantastic cover of Herbie Hancock's Dolphin Dance. My only complaint is the 34 minute running time is far too short.

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ALL THE KING'S HORSES (1972)
8 tracks, 38 minutes

While still smooth, this album of pop tunes and updated standards has tracks averaging about 4 minutes each and the arrangements vary from combo to big band to full orchestra. Guests on these cuts include Bob James, Richard Tee, Billy Cobham, Bernard Purdie, and Ron Carter.

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "a perfect compromise between jazz and pop"
• Record World: "Music that you can get heavily into, or just turn on in the background."
• Billboard: "will be one of the biggest albums of the year"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #111
• Billboard R&B: #20
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• CashBox: #99
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: At this point, Washington wasn't yet recording his own material. but he picked some good tunes to cover, including one of the great pop songs of the 1970's, Where Is The Love:

1. No Tears, In The End (Ralph MacDonald, William Salter): a tune later appearing on the 1973 Roberta Flack album Killing Me Softly.
2. All The King's Horses (Aretha Franklin): a hit for Aretha Franklin in 1972 (#26 pop, #7 R&B).
3. Where Is The Love (MacDonald, Salter): a hit for Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972 (#5 pop, #1 R&B, #1 AC).
4. Body And Soul (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, John Green): a jazz standard from 1930.
5. Lean On Me (Bill Withers): a hit for Withers in 1972 (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #4 AC)
6. Lover Man (Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez)/Interlude #2 (Bob James): a jazz standard from 1941 plus a extended original soloing section in the middle
7. Love Song 1700 (Henry Purcell): adapted and arranged by Bob James.

The only skippable track is Love Song 1700, which doesn't quite work despite good intentions. [insert your own baroque/broke pun here]

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In late 2000 or early 2001 someone I know well* was downloading some tunes from a popular file sharing site that rhymes with "mapster" and Washington's version of Where Is The Love was one of the first tunes allegedly downloaded.

*someone of my general age, height, weight, and eye color.
This statement has been approved by this blog's amateur legal team, a group with over 25 years of legal experience (i.e., watching episodes of Law & Order).

Previously revisited for the blog:

Prime Cuts 1987-1999 (1999)	The Best Is Yet To Come (1982)
Soulful Strut (1996)	Come Morning (1981)
All My Tomorrows (1994)	Winelight (1980)
Time Out of Mind (1989)	Skylarkin' (1980)
Anthology (1985)	Mister Magic (1975)
Inside Moves (1984)/Paradise (1979)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Inside Moves (1984)/Paradise (1979)

Two Elektra releases from the master of smooth jazz saxophone. An odd album pairing for a couple of reasons: 1) the overall sound of the two albums are very different, from production style to mix to instrumentation, and 2) the newer album is first on the CD - should have been the other way around, in my opinion. You can never go wrong with chronological order.

I enjoy his entire œuvre, but there's just something different about Washington's releases on Elektra (1979-1984). I prefer Inside Moves to Paradise, but with a total running time of around 80 minutes, this is easily a top-to-bottom listen that offers up just the right amount of variety.

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INSIDE MOVES (1984)
7 tracks, 52 minutes

Washington hit his commercial peak with 1980's Winelight album and the hit single Just The Two Of Us. He spent his remaining time on the Elektra label chasing that success and hoping lightning would strike twice. Can't say as I blame him - I'd have done the exact same thing. Inside Moves has plenty of good stuff from great musicians, including Ralph MacDonald, Marcus Miller, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Steve Gadd, and Jon Lucien. The latter provided the vocals for the single release When I Look At You, which unfortunately didn't dent the charts.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "flawless, smooth crossover"
• Downbeat (★★★): "Real good album, all in all"
• 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: #79
• Billboard R&B: #21
• Billboard Jazz: #3
• CashBox: #60
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #4

Tracks: It's all good 'n' smooth, but my favorites today are Dawn Song, Secret Sounds, and Jet Stream.

---

PARADISE (1979)
10 tracks, 36 minutes

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

This album has a very different sound when compared to Inside Moves and utilized a completely different backing band, most notably electric violinist John Blake, who is featured prominently on each cut. 

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "a provocative showcase"
• Record World: "could prove to be one of his biggest"
• Downbeat (★★½): "one man's boredom can be another man's gold"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★½

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #24
• Billboard R&B: #15
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• CashBox: #33
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Rolling Stone: #36
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: Of the seven tracks on Paradise, my top picks are Tell Me About It Now, the title track (written by Blake) and Asia's Theme.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: The little town where I attended undergrad had - for a brief time - a record store that stocked both new and used. I don't remember buying anything there but a used copy of Culture Club's Colour By Numbers LP. The guy in the next room over, nicknamed Buffalo Tom, was starting to develop a taste for the smooth stuff in late '84/early '85 and picked up copies of Inside Moves and David Sanborn's Straight To The Heart. On my fairly new Fisher all-in-one, I promptly dubbed Inside Moves to one side of a blank cassette then dubbed Sanborn on the flip. That tape got a lot of playing time; it's nice to have this album handy again.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Prime Cuts 1987-1999 (1999)	The Best Is Yet To Come (1982)
Soulful Strut (1996)	Come Morning (1981)
All My Tomorrows (1994)	Winelight (1980)
Time Out of Mind (1989)	Skylarkin' (1980)
Anthology (1985)	Mister Magic (1975)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Soulful Strut (1996)

I'm a big fan of Washington, but even I will admit this isn't his best release. I want the smooth stuff and this album is heavy into production gimmicks, world music influences, and weak material. All influenced by bassist/writer/producer Gary "Headman" Hasse who was probably brought in to update a sound that didn't need updating. When his label came out with a greatest hits compilation a few years later (Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999), only one track from this album was selected for inclusion, and even then it was a previously unreleased remix version of Soulful Strut.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #187
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: # 3
• Billboard R&B: #45

Tracks: The best track is easily the title cut, a tasty take on one of the best summer songs ever written. Also good are Bordertown, I Can Count The Times, and Mystical Force. The single released was a cover of Can You Stop The Rain, which was a #1 R&B song for Peabo Bryson in 1991. Sadly, this version simply plods along despite the urgency in Washington's performance. Then there's the rest.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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)
Come Morning (1981)
Winelight (1980)
Skylarkin' (1980)
Mister Magic (1975)

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)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Winelight (1980)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1990 reissue.

A brief comment on the cover photo: I'm not much of a wine drinker, but am aware that I'm to fill my glass only to the widest part of the bowl. However, I'm by no means a wine snob, so I normally fill my glass(es) on up near the top, just as in the cover photo above. Experts might want to "elevate the flavors and aromas of wine by exposing it to air" but I follow the usual "if a little bit is good, more is better" mindset when it comes such things. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

I don't remember from who I borrowed the vinyl albums, but somehow I ended up with a C-90 cassette with this album on one side and its 1981 follow-up, Come Morning, 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. I later bought a CD of Washington's 1985 greatest hits compilation, foolishly thinking that disc would replace that tape and I wouldn't need to buy CDs of those two albums, both of which I now own on CD, of course.

In the world of smooth jazz, this thing was groundbreaking - a smooth jazz album that also became a top 5 pop album with a #2 pop hit - the first of its kind since Jazz Samba a generation earlier. Washington got involved with Ralph MacDonald and many top-shelf studio aces including members of Stuff: Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, and Richard Tee, alongside Marcus Miller on bass (and if you like the sound of that line-up, there's also a couple of Sadao Watanabe albums from the early '80s you should check out - "if a little bit is good..." right?). Liner notes also state that the album was mixed using the "Aphex Aural Exciter" and I don't know what that is but it sounds fun. Speaking of things I don't understand, the Billboard review called the songs on the album a "journey into gossamer entanglements" (see below).

As noted at the bottom of the above CD cover, the album won the Grammy award for Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental, while the song Just The Two Of Us won the category of Best Rhythm & Blues Song.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "Things are grooving smoothly here"
• DownBeat (★★★½): "en route to the bank he plays some very pleasant stuff"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★½
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #1 [atop this chart from December 20, 1980 through July 4, 1981, later followed by two more nonconsecutive weeks for a total of 31 weeks at #1]
• Billboard R&B: #2
• Billboard Rock: #48
• CashBox: #5
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Rolling Stone: #7

Tracks: 6 tracks, 39:15. "Only" 6 tracks and they're all worth your time. I briefly entertained the idea of ranking the tracks, but what's the point? I normally badmouth the practice of including a vocal track on an otherwise instrumental album, but maybe that's because Just The Two Of Us is so perfect that nothing else measures up - Richard Tee's intro, Bill Withers' vocals, the steelpan solo from Robert Greenidge, the subtle change of feel when MacDonald brings in his percussion backing track at around the 5:30 mark for the final choruses. The whole album is perfect for late night romance on a Saturday night and then again with brunch the next day.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD (upcycled from a previous post): I was a freshman in high school when this album was released. At the time, I could best be described as an annoying, scrawny 14 year old geek. Still, I never ended up with my head stuck down a toilet nor stuffed in a locker or lunchroom 55-gallon trash can, facts which surprise me to this day. (I was once handcuffed to a school auditorium urinal as a sophomore, but that's a story for another time.)

Your humble blogger's yearbook photo
from freshman year, 1980-81

No comments about the cowlicks, please; I've had a bad hair life. Like any new high school student, I searched for extracurricular activities where 1) I'd kinda sorta fit in, and 2) I wouldn't get beat up. So, in addition to playing in the school band, I got involved in the drama program (neither of these activities did anything to jeopardize my standing as an annoying, scrawny 14 year old geek).

In the spring of 1981, I was doing some sort of crew work backstage one afternoon and we had the radio on. Just The Two Of Us came on the air. I liked the song from the first time I heard it and I'm fairly sure I had recorded it off the radio. In any case, I sang along while I worked. Other stage crew members overheard me and couldn't believe a skinny white kid would be familiar with a R&B tune (little did they know...). Before I knew it, I was surrounded by 4 or 5 other geeks and we had a little dance party backstage. And for a brief moment, I kinda sorta fit in.

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)
Skylarkin' (1980)
Mister Magic (1975)

Grover Washington, Jr. - The Best Is Yet To Come (1982)

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

Not the best GWJr album, but with one of the originators of the smooth jazz/instrumental R&B genre, you know what you're getting into when you buy the thing. It's predictable, formulaic, and even a little dated, but none of that matters because it's perfect music for relaxation, decompressing, and de-stressing. Grover is joined by some of my favorite studio jazzers of the time: Ralph MacDonald (percussion), Marcus Miller (bass), Eric Gale (guitar), and Richard Tee (electric piano).

The title track feature vocals by Patti LaBelle and I'm guessing it was an attempt to repeat the success of Just The Two Of Us from 1980. The single didn't make the Billboard Hot 100, bubbling under at 104, but it did peak at #14 on the R&B singles chart. It was also nominated for the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category at the Grammy Awards losing to Chaka Khan's eponymous fourth solo album.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #50
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #8
• CashBox: #45
• CashBox Jazz: #1
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #1
• Rolling Stone: #30

Tracks: The better tracks are Can You Dig It, the title track, and the cleverly titled Mixty Motions. Skip track 4, Things Are Getting Better, with vocals and scat solo by Bobby McFerrin and track 7, I'll Be With You, with vocals from Pieces Of A Dream bassist Cedric Napoleon.

The final track is bland theme music for the short-lived TV series Cassie & Co. I have no memory of that show, but I'm guessing they wanted a film noir kind of theme, maybe? Even an appearance from guitarist Lee Ritenour can't save it, though.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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)
Skylarkin' (1980)
Mister Magic (1975)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Mister Magic (1975)

The smooth jazz pioneer teams up with some top-notch artists on this release, including keyboardist/composer Bob James, percussionist/composer Ralph MacDonald, guitarist Eric Gale, trumpeter Jon Faddis, and legendary producer Creed Taylor. The whole thing has the unmistakable sound of Washington's music, so I like it. This album has become one of Washington's best-loved among his fans, most likely on the strength of the title track. However, all four tunes included here make great late night/early morning listening (when I'm able to stay up that late).

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "more than a passing acquaintance with Stanley Turrentine, Gene Ammons, Willis Jackson, and, surprisingly, John Coltrane."
• Billboard: "the mood is definitely righteous jazz"
• Record World: "The magic's in the music and the music's in Mister Washington!"
• Stereo Review: "good, if not terribly exciting"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★½
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200 : #10
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #1
• CashBox: #15

Tracks: As occasionally happens, my least favorite track is the longest: the 12+ minute album opener, Earth Tones. That's followed by a beautifully lush arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's 1941 standard, Passion Flower. The highlight of the album is the laid back funk of the title track, which was edited and released as a single (#54 pop, #16 R&B). The album closes with the slow-burn groove of Black Frost. In my mind, tracks 1 and 4 should have been swapped, but that's just me finding something to complain about.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

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)
Skylarkin' (1980)

Grover Washington, Jr - Skylarkin' (1980)

Japanese Import

Just what you would expect: a great mix of smooth jazz/instrumental R&B made by a stellar cast of musicians including guitarist Eric Gale and bassist Marcus Miller. Washington's saxophone tone is immediately recognizable as is keyboardist Richard Tee's characteristic Fender Rhodes electric piano fed through a phase shifter - man, I love that sound. Jazz critics of the time didn't like Washington's smooth, melodic crossover sound but none of that matters to me. Play this smooth 37 minute album back-to-back with Washington's subsequent work on the Elektra label and it makes for a delightful evening (or morning or afternoon, for that matter).

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "smooth brand of urban R&B jazz"
• Record World: "stirring virtuosity"
• Musician: "who does it better?"
• Downbeat (★★★★): “Were commercial jazz saxophonists exalted to monarchic positions, Grover Washington Jr. would be the sovereign.”

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #24
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #8
• CashBox: #30
• CashBox Jazz: #2
• Record World Jazz: #1
• Rolling Stone: #43

Tracks: It's all good. Top marks go to Snake Eyes (which funks it up with a tasty clavinet part) and the cover of the Stevie Wonder tune I Can't Help It (with its sweet bass line), originally recorded by Michael Jackson on his Off the Wall album.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but this week I've had several Grover Washington, Jr. listening marathons, utilizing vinyl, CDs, and digital files. This album, of course, was a part of those marathons.

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)

Anthology of Grover Washington, Jr. (1985)

For reasons I'd rather not go into, I didn't get a yearbook for my freshman year of high school. So, after a 32 year pity party, I recently found a copy available on eBay. I just paid twice what I remember the yearbook originally selling for, but as you can probably imagine, I would have paid much more than that.

I received the yearbook in the mail this week, so I'm taking some time this morning to pore over the pages. Newsflash: well-intentioned 17-year-old high school kids put together pretty crappy yearbooks. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying this trip down selective memory lane. So what's this all got to do with Grover Washington, Jr.? See personal memory below.

This CD is an uneven compilation, with 10 tracks culled from 4 of the 5 albums Washington released on the Elektra label between 1979-84. But seven of the ten tracks are taken from Washington's top two albums (in my book): Come Morning and Winelight. I had those two albums recorded on either side of a cassette tape back in high school (which probably explains why they're my favorites). It's all a smooth combination of R&B and jazz. Despite its unevenness, I like it and have fond memories of listening back in the '80s, so even the cheesier tracks don't bother me. There are some top session musicians on these cuts: Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, Marcus Miller, and Ralph McDonald to name a few.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:  The top track is the full 7:24 version of #2 hit, Just The Two Of Us, a duet with Bill Withers. I'm talking FULL version with extended sax solo and a steel drum solo by Robert Greenidge. Other top tracks are East River Drive and Jet Stream. The aforementioned cheese includes Little Black Samba and a cover of Bob Marley's Jammin', but I don't skip anything.

Song	Album	Year
The Best Is Yet To Come	The Best Is Yet To Come	1982
East River Drive	Come Morning	1981
Be Mine (Tonight)	Come Morning	1981
Can You Dig It	The Best Is Yet To Come	1982
In The Name Of Love	Winelight	1980
Just The Two Of Us	Winelight	1980
Jammin'	Come Morning	1981
Little Black Samba	Come Morning	1981
Jet Stream	Inside Moves	1984
Let It Flow (For "Dr. J")	Winelight	1980

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  When I was a freshman, I could best be described as an annoying, scrawny 14 year old geek. I never ended up with my head stuck down a toilet, a fact which surprises me to this day. (On a related note, I strongly relate to the Sam Weir character on the wonderful 1999 TV series Freaks And Geeks.)

No comments about the cowlicks, please; I've had a bad hair life. Like any new high school student, I searched for extracurricular activities where 1) I'd kinda sorta fit in, and 2) I wouldn't get beat up. So, in addition to playing in the school band, I got involved in the drama program (neither of these activities did anything to jeopardize my standing as an annoying, scrawny 14 year old geek).

In the spring of 1981, I was doing some sort of crew work backstage one afternoon and we had the radio on. Just The Two Of Us came on the air. I liked the song from the first time I heard it and I'm fairly sure I had recorded it off the radio. In any case, I sang along while I worked. Another drama student, an African American junior named Ronnie, overheard and couldn't believe a skinny white kid would be familiar with an R&B tune (little did he know...). He said something like, "Check out Mark! He knows this tune! Sing it, boy! Alright!" Before I knew it, I was surrounded by 4 or 5 other geeks and we had a little dance party backstage. For a brief moment, I kinda sorta fit in. Looking through my "new" annual this morning, I saw a photo of Ronnie. I wonder if he still digs Grover Washington, Jr.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (1999)
All My Tomorrows (1994)
Time Out of Mind (1989)

Grover Washington, Jr. - All My Tomorrows (1994)

Not a typical outing for Grover Washington, Jr. Instead of releasing another smooth jazz album, Washington switched gears and released an album of mostly jazz standards and covers in a more straight-ahead fashion. The result is an uneven attempt at an after hours, romantic, night club combo album. Not my favorite GW release, but I can't pass up one of his albums if I see it sitting in the used CD bin.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #2
• CashBox Jazz: #13

Tracks: It's hit-or-miss here. The best track is E Preciso Perdoar (One Must Forgive) which features nice horn work by Eddie Henderson. Also good are Please Send Me Someone to Love and Flamingo. The only original here is Washington's Happenstance, which is a nice mid-tempo bossa number, but still not his usual output. The rest try too hard for my tastes, particularly the skippable cover of Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (1999)
Time Out of Mind (1989)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Prime Cuts: The Columbia Years 1987-1999 (1999)

The 1970's and early '80s were Grover's best years, so this "best of" package is hit-or-miss. To be fair, though, the late '80s weren't the best years for smooth jazz as many artists moved to synth bass and drums. There's some of that here, but there's also a few tracks that would have fit in on his albums Mister Magic or Winelight. There are three tracks here that were previously unreleased that may have been among Washington's last studio recordings. On December 17, 1999, after taping four songs for The Saturday Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City, Washington collapsed after suffering a heart attack. Sadly, he was only 56 years old.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #4

Tracks:

	Title	Album	Year
1	Take Five (Take Another Five)	Next Exit	1992
2	Sacred Kind of Love	Time Out Of Mind	1989
3	Only For You (Siempre Para Ti Sere)	Next Exit	1992
4	Please Send Me Someone To Love	All My Tomorrows	1994
5	Strawberry Moon	Strawberry Moon	1987
6	Summer Nights	Strawberry Moon	1987
7	Heat Index	previously unreleased	1999
8	Next Exit	Next Exit	1992
9	Blues For DP	Then And Now	1998
10	Soulful Strut (The Top Down Version)	previously unreleased version	1992
11	The Love In His Infant Eyes	Breath Of Heaven	1997
12	The Night Fantastic	previously unreleased	1999
13	Protect The Dream	Time Out Of Mind	1989

Keepers here are Only for You (Siempre Para Ti Sere), Please Send Me Someone To Love, and Strawberry Moon. It's nice to hear the amazing Herbie Hancock bring it on Blues For DP and Soulful Strut (The Top Down Version) is a lot of fun. There's nothing skippable here; the remainder of the tracks are good enough for background music.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Time Out of Mind (1989)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Time Out of Mind (1989)

It's an age-old artist's dilemma: does the musician keep producing music without concerns for current trends, or does the musician evolve with an updated sound at the risk of alienating fans? In 1989, Washington had already produced a greatest hits album, had his biggest success with Bill Wither's Just the Two of Us, and had been recording almost 20 years. Millions heard his playing every Thursday night on The Cosby Show. So which would he choose? Well, if you listen to this CD, you'd assume he chose both answers. Some tracks are classic smooth Washington, some are updated with lots of synths and drum machines. There's also another attempt at a top 40 hit a guest vocalist. Since I'm a fan of Washington and the title track is a cover of one of my favorite Steely Dan tunes, I had to give this CD a try, but, at best, I would call it a mixed bag.

Ratings:

• 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: Did not chart
• Billboard R&B: #60
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #1
• CashBox Jazz: #4

Tracks: The title track is everything I'd hoped it would be. Classic Grover Wasington, Jr. smooth jazz tracks include Gramercy Park, Split Second, Nice-N-Easy, and Unspoken Love. Late '80s synth-driven tracks include Jamaica, Brand New Age, and Don't Take Your Love From Me. Guest vocal by Phyllis Hyman on Sacred Kind of Love.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: At the turn of the century, I was obsessed with finding cover versions of some of my favorite tunes. Around 2000, Napster was still a Wild West free-for-all, so that made my searches much easier. That's how I came across the title track which led to the purchase of the CD (probably from eBay).