  |
|
|
 |
|
CD |
| 5.889 Ft
|
|
| 1. | Winelight
|
| 2. | Take Five (Take Another Five)
|
| 3. | Soulful Strut
|
| 4. | Grover Talks
|
| 5. | Mystical Force
|
| 6. | Uptown
|
| 7. | Sassy Stew
|
| 8. | Grover Talks Again
|
| 9. | Black Frost
|
| 10. | Inner City Blues
|
| 11. | Strawberry Moon
|
| 12. | Inside Moves
|
| 13. | Jamaica
|
| 14. | East River Drive
|
| 15. | Just the Two of Us
|
| 16. | Sausalito
|
| 17. | Let It Flow [For "Dr. J"]
|
| 18. | Mr. Magic
|
Jazz
Timed nearly to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of the untimely passing of the saxophone legend at age 56 in December 1999, Grover Live functions beautifully as a tribute to the musician and his legacy, a gleeful romp through his best-loved songs and a warm, inviting look at the man in action -- specifically a show at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY, circa 1997. Washington's melodic, grooving, and improvisational passion that night became a wonderful recorded document for his fans to treasure through the efforts of Grammy-winning keyboardist/producer Jason Miles, who received producing credit for the collection. Truly, no single contemporary jazz voice has done more to keep Washington's joyful musical legacy alive than Miles; in addition to helming two all-star tribute collections called To Grover, With Love, he created several live concerts devoted to the saxman's music at Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, PA in the late 2000s. His attitude in getting through the red tape and bringing this up to sonic speed was surely a matter of asking, why just pay homage when you can deliver the real deal? That's what this magnificent 80-minute set is -- a simply wonderful, varied show featuring Washington at his peak, running through the songs his fans still can't get enough of, starting with a seven-and-a-half minute roll through "Winelight," having fun with band intros on "Take Five (Take Another Five)," dancing through "Soulful Strut," waxing dreamy and tropical on "Mystical Force," and heading "Uptown" before wrapping with a nearly-12-minute "Let It Flow" and his trademark "Mr. Magic." Making sure no one left unsatisfied that night (as if it were possible), in the middle of the set is an eight-song medley featuring snippets of every other Washington song that could be considered a hit -- from "Just the Two of Us" to "Jamaica." Miles tells the story behind the discovery of the DAT tapes of this show in his liner notes. When he called Washington's widow Christine in 2008 to tell her about the Berks concert, she invited the producer and his wife Kathy to Philly listen to recordings of numerous shows he left behind. A labor-intensive process of finding the perfect one to release, and going through all the licensing red tape has netted Washington (and contemporary jazz) fans everywhere a richly realized, souvenir snapshot that includes the saxman interacting with his fans via monologue/introductions as easily as he does with his band. It's a glimpse of the artist at his best, playing his heart out for a small crowd that will now grow exponentially thanks to Miles, for whom this is the ultimate labor of love. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
Grover Washington, Jr.
Active Decades: '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s
Born: Dec 12, 1943 in Buffalo, NY
Died: Dec 17, 1999 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Soul Jazz, Fusion, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Quiet Storm, Jazz Instrument, Saxophone 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 |
|
CD bolt, zenei DVD, SACD, BLU-RAY lemez vásárlás és rendelés - Klasszikus zenei CD-k és DVD-különlegességek |  | | Webdesign - Forfour Design |
|
|
