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| 4.593 Ft
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| 1. | Secret Place
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| 2. | Dolphin Dance
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| 3. | Not Yet
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| 4. | Love Makes It Better
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Jazz / Soul-Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Quiet Storm
Grover Washington, Jr. - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Sax (Soprano)
Andy Kman Production Coordination
Anthony Jackson Bass
Creed Taylor Producer
Dave Grusin Piano
Eric Gale Guitar
George Mraz Bass
Gerry Niewood Saxophone, Sax (Alto)
Harry Weinger Reissue Supervisor
Harvey Mason, Sr. Drums
Hollis King Art Direction
Isabelle Wong Design
John Gatchell Trumpet
Kevin Reeves Mastering
Ralph MacDonald Percussion
Randy Brecker Trumpet
Rene Schumacher Design
Richard Alcorn Photography
Rudy Van Gelder Engineer
Steve Khan Guitar
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. was faced with an almost impossible task in 1976: following up his two 1975 critically acclaimed and wildly successful commercial recordings Mister Magic and Feels So Good. Both recordings crossed over to R&B on the radio and on the charts. A Secret Place was produced by Creed Taylor and issued on his Kudu imprint, while the versatile David Matthews arranged the horn section. The players include pianist Dave Grusin, drummer Harvey Mason, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, bassist Anthony Jackson, guitarist Eric Gale, trumpeter John Gatchell, and alto saxophonist Gerry Niewood. Guests include bassist George Mraz and guitarist Steve Khan, who appear only on a reading of Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance."
This lineup may not be surprising, but the scope of the recording is. Washington could have gone the easy route and followed up his R&B chart success with a series of uptempo, rousing tracks that leaned heavier on funk -- in the style of the title tracks of both the previous albums. But he went in a different direction, at least partially. There are four cuts here, each between eight and nine minutes. The first two (which comprise side one of the LP), the title track, and Hancock's tune, are a bit more laid-back and mysterious. Washington takes his time letting them unfold, utilizing dynamics. "A Secret Place" does have a slippery funky backbeat, and a killer guitar line by Gale (did he ever play anything else in the '70s?) but the groove is nocturnal, spacy, and soulful. His soprano sings over the backbeat as Grusin's Rhodes piano plays down a vamp for the rhythm section, and fills in the painted backdrop beautifully. The tempo picks up with Jackson's bassline becoming more prominent in the mix, but it never overpowers the easy groove established at the beginning. "Dolphin Dance" begins every bit as sparely and exotically spacious as Hancock's own version, with beautiful soprano and alto work, gorgeous floating Rhodes piano, and lots of warmth. When it begins to swing near the middle, it does so in such a relaxed and languid manner that the shift from soul-jazz on the preceding tune to the straight up fingerpopping nightclub swing on this one is seamless. As usual, Washington's own soloing and melodic improvising are stellar. "Not Yet" opens the second half of the set. It's a funky groove, but the easy, laid-back feel and chord changes in this Washington original make it irresistibly sexy. Once more, Gale's guitar pleases as it leads the horn section vamps that fill his sophisticated, soulful, bluesed-out solo. The lilt in Grusin's Rhodes piano is the perfect tastemaker, since Washington's tenor is so throaty and on the low-end growl. Harvey Mason's straight up funky soul number "Love Makes It Better," takes the set out on a high note, with gorgeous guitar vamps by Gale, the three-horn line playing a sparse but pronounced melody line, and Grusin filling the middle with enough sweetness and light to offer the drums and percussion room to really pop. Washington's tenor solo is sophisticated and utterly tasteful; its emotion ratchets up the dynamic in the entire tune. The bottom line on A Secret Place is that while the set did well commercially, it got nowhere near the critical praise of its predecessors. That's a shame, because it is a truly fine album whose grooves and pleasures stand the test of time easily. It's ripe for reappraisal. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Grover Washington, Jr.
Active Decades: '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s
Born: Dec 12, 1943 in Buffalo, NY
Died: Dec 17, 1999
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Fusion, Quiet Storm, Soul-Jazz
One of the most popular saxophonists of all time, Grover Washington, Jr. was long the pacesetter in his field. His roots were in R&B and soul-jazz organ combos, but he also fared very well on the infrequent occasions when he played straight-ahead jazz. A highly influential player, Washington pushed himself with the spontaneity and risk-taking of a masterful jazz musician.
Grover Washington, Jr.'s, father also played saxophone and was his first influence. The younger son started playing music when he was ten, and within two years was working in clubs. He picked up experience touring with the Four Clefs from 1959-1963 and freelancing during the next two years, before spending a couple years in the Army. He moved to Philadelphia in 1967, becoming closely identified with the city from then on, and worked with several organists, including Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond Smith, recording as a sideman for the Prestige label. His biggest break occurred in 1971, when Hank Crawford could not make it to a recording date for Creed Tasylor's Kudu label; Washington was picked as his replacement, and the result was Inner City Blues, a big seller. From then on he became a major name, particularly after recording 1975's Mister Magic and Feels So Good, and later 1980's Winelight; the latter included the Bill Withers hit "Just the Two of Us."
Although some of his recordings since then found him coasting a bit, Washington usually stretched himself in concert. He developed his own personal voices on soprano, tenor, alto, and even his infrequently-used baritone. Grover Washington Jr. recorded as a leader for Kudu, Motown, Elektra, and Columbia and made notable guest appearances on dozens of records ranging from pop to straightforward jazz. He died of a sudden heart attack on December 17, 1999 while taping an appearance on CBS television's The Saturday Early Show; Washington was 56. The posthumous Aria was issued early the following year.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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