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Pure dark magic from Grover Washington – a record that was a megahit back in the 70s, but which still sounds amazing many decades later! There's a sound here that's completely sublime – and the album is to Grover's career what the first 2 CTI sets by Bob James were to his – a stretched-out, masterpiece of sublime jazzy energy – served up with a really spacious sound overall! Grover's sharp-edged sax is at the lead of the set – but the album's also awash in electric piano work from Bob James – and backings that are as lean, clean, and soulful as the best on CTI from the time. Titles include the killer "Black Frost" – a track that we never tire of – plus the hit "Mister Magic", and the cuts "Earth Tones" and "Passion Flower". LP, Vinyl record album

'Mister Magic' is pure dark magic from Grover Washington – a record that was a megahit back in the 70s, but which still sounds amazing many decades later! There's a sound here that's completely sublime – and the album is to Grover's career what the first 2 CTI sets by Bob James were to his – a stretched-out, masterpiece of sublime jazzy energy – served up with a really spacious sound overall! Grover's sharp-edged sax is at the lead of the set – but the album's also awash in electric piano work from Bob James – and backings that are as lean, clean, and soulful as the best on CTI from the time. Titles include the killer "Black Frost" – a track that we never tire of – plus the hit "Mister Magic", and the cuts "Earth Tones" and "Passion Flower". 'Feels So Good' is an incredible batch of electric funk from Grover Washington Jr – easily one of his best albums ever! The record really picks up from the sweet CTI sound of the 70s – taking Bob James arrangements with a lot of space and electric keyboards, and letting Groover blow some wonderfully soulful lines over the top on soprano sax! The album's got some really wonderful funk tracks that feature a mad mix of drums, bass, and lots of that Bob James "space" – including the massive cuts "Hydra" and "Knucklehead" – both of them magic! Other tracks include "Moonstreams", "It Feels So Good", and "The Sea Lion". CD

Sweet Motown grooving from Grover Washington – a set that has him working with slightly larger backings than his Kudu years, but in a way that still lets his soulful horn stand strongly out front! As always, Washington is a killer talent on the soprano sax – able to inflect the instrument with these soulful twists and turns that he virtually invented at the time, and which so many others have tried to copy over the years. Yet the set also has Grover on a bit of tenor and baritone sax, too – plus some flute – all over arrangements mostly handled by the man himself, with a bit of help from William Eaton. Titles include "Snake Eyes", "Bright Moments", "Easy Loving You", "Love", and "I Can't Help It". CD

Sweet funky jazz from Grover Washington – an early standout session from his classic years on Kudu Records, put together with hip arrangements from the mighty Bob James! The record's got the same spacious sense of grooving as James' first few for CTI – a style that's funky fusion, but a bit more laidback than most – not nearly as jamming, and with almost as much focus on lean rhythms as on key solos from the players in the group! Most tracks have a long, open sort of feel – and in addition to alto and tenor from Grover, other instrumentation includes organ from Richard Tee, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Idris Muhammad, percussion from Airto, and electric piano from Bob James himself. Titles include versions of "Mercy Mercy Me", "Ain't No Sunshine/Theme From Man & Boy", "Until It's Time For You To Go", and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great Grover Washington record – and with 25 years behind us, we really now realize how fantastic all the early Kudu sessions really were! The record was recorded live at the Bijou, and is spread out over 2 long LPs, with lots of room for tasty open-ended solos by Grover and the group. Includes the great version of "Lock It In The Pocket", plus "Funkfoot", "Sausalito", "Summer Song", and a long version of "Mr Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too secret about this record – given that it was one of Grover Washington's biggest hits of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album features four long tracks – all stretched out and layered together with washes of funky, yet subtle sounds – in a perfect blend that let Washington really stretch out on his solos, blowing with a great deal of soul over some hip instrumentation that includes Dave Grusin on electric piano, Anthony Jackson on bass, Harvey Mason on drums, and Ralph McDonald on percussion. There's a lean quality to the record that's completely sublime (why can't they make sets like this anymore?) – and although smooth, things are never slick – wonderfully soulful throughout, in that magic mode that Grover hit on a handful of key 70s albums! Titles include "A Secret Place", "Not yet", "Dolphin Dance", and "Love Makes It Better". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet Motown grooving from Grover Washington – a set that has him working with slightly larger backings than his Kudu years, but in a way that still lets his soulful horn stand strongly out front! As always, Washington is a killer talent on the soprano sax – able to inflect the instrument with these soulful twists and turns that he virtually invented at the time, and which so many others have tried to copy over the years. Yet the set also has Grover on a bit of tenor and baritone sax, too – plus some flute – all over arrangements mostly handled by the man himself, with a bit of help from William Eaton. Titles include "Snake Eyes", "Bright Moments", "Easy Loving You", "Love", and "I Can't Help It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Aubrey" and "Masterpiece"! LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty 2CD set that brings together some of the best soul jazz tracks from Grover's years at the Kudu label! As is well remembered by beatheads, Grover had an amazing style at the time – a snakey electric groove that was perfect for the sounds of the early 70s – playing soprano sax in a spare yet funky way, working perfectly with arrangements by Bob James, and some killer bass and drum riffs that are forever being sampled and re-discovered today! The set picks a nice batch of hits and LP tracks – 24 in all – and all cuts are long and open-ended – in the tightly produced funky style that Grover pioneered. Tracks include "Mister Magic", "Black Frost", "Bright Moments", "Juffure", "Lean On Me", "Body & Soul", "Where Is The Love", "Inner City Blues", "Aubrey", "All The King's Horses", "Feels So Good", "Santa Cruzin", "Snake Eyes", "Dolphin Dance", "Reed Seed", "Trouble Man", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "Easy Lovin You". CD

Sweet funky jazz from Grover Washington – an early standout session from his classic years on Kudu Records, put together with hip arrangements from the mighty Bob James! The record's got the same spacious sense of grooving as James' first few for CTI – a style that's funky fusion, but a bit more laidback than most – not nearly as jamming, and with almost as much focus on lean rhythms as on key solos from the players in the group! Most tracks have a long, open sort of feel – and in addition to alto and tenor from Grover, other instrumentation includes organ from Richard Tee, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Idris Muhammad, percussion from Airto, and electric piano from Bob James himself. Titles include versions of "Mercy Mercy Me", "Ain't No Sunshine/Theme From Man & Boy", "Until It's Time For You To Go", and "Inner City Blues". CD

A great look at the earliest years on record of Grover Washington Jr – material recorded before his later fame at Kudu Records, all with a much grittier sound overall! The work was recorded in the years 1970 and 1971 – at a time when he was cutting sessions for albums at Prestige by Charles Earland and Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones (from which these tunes were taken) – and it documents a firey side of his work that still holds up tremendously, much more rough-edged and hard-wailing overall! There's a mean, lean organ and tenor sound that dominates here – with Grover on tenor, plus other players who include Johnny Hammond Smith and Leon Spencer on organ, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums. Titles include "Our Love Will Never Die", "No Way", "Between The Sheets", "Killer Joe", "Fadin", "Inside Job", and "I Feel The Earth Move" – all from albums by Earland and Jones. CD

All of Grover Washington Jr's albums for Columbia – brought together in a special box set! Strawberry Moon has a number of laidback groovers, with some solid Washington originals such as the title track and some sweet covers. BB King plays and sings on "Caught A Touch Of Your Love", with Jean Carne guesting on "The Look Of Love". Grover's sax is soulful and sweet throughout, and the titles include "Strawberry Moon", "Summer Nights", "Keep In Touch", and "Maddie's Blues". Then & Now is a nice one that has Grover working in a straighter jazz mode for the most part, taking a break from the soul and R&B groover –- the most timeless of the 3 albums compiled here! Players include Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Darryl Washington. Titles include "Just Enough", "French Connections", "Stolen Moments", "Stella By Starlight" and more. Time Out Of Mind's title track is a cover of the Steely Dan classic, circa Gaucho – and this album finds Grover embracing the 80s a lot more than his previous album for Columbia. A mix of moods, with some electric funky flourishes and fusiony keys and synths. Titles include "Jamaica", "Sacred Kind Of Love", "Fly Away", the title track and more. Next Exit is great 90s work from Grover Washington Jr – a set from a time when the reedman was still one of the kings of mainstream soulful fusion! There's a bit of vocals from time to time, and some strong R&B production – but also plenty of room for Grover's well-crafted lines on soprano sax, which are still as soulful and slinky as ever! Titles include "Your Love", "Only For You", "Next Exit", "Greene Street", "Summer Chill", "Get On Up", and "Till You Return To Me". All My Tomorrows is an overlooked gem from reedman Grover – recorded in his later years, but a set that's actually got more of an acoustic style overall – one that goes back to the roots farther than any of Grover's fusion records! Washington's a great straight player in this setting – filled with soul on tenor and soprano sax – and working with top-shelf small group players like Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, Bobby Watson on alto, and Robin Eubanks on trombone. Guitarist Romero Lumbambo arranged one great Brazilian-tinged number – and other arrangements are by Grover, Larry Willis, Slide Hampton, and Freddy Cole – who sings on two tracks too. Titles include "E Preciso Perdoar", "Happenstance", "All My Tomorrows", "Nature Boy", "Flamingo", and "Estate". Soulful Strut is bouncy soul from Grover Washington – a set that returns to his earlier roots in a space between soulful fusion and R&B! The slinky Washington soprano sax gets plenty of space in this set – blown with those seductive notes that always made Grover one of the most distinctive players on the instrument – and the backings often have this gentle R&B groove that's even stronger on the few cuts here with vocals. Titles include "Soulful Strut", "Bordertown", "Village Groove", "I Can Count The Times", "Headman's Hunt", and "Can You Stop The Rain". CD set also features bonus tracks – "Protect The Dream", "Heat Index", "Every Day A Little Death", and "The Night Fantastic". CD

Smooth modern duets from one of our favorite ladies in soul music! Jean Carne's a heck of a singer – with a career that stretches back to early soul jazz recordings with (then) husband Doug Carn, to solo recordings on Philly International in the late 70s, to appearances on records by other artists – sessions from the 70s, 80s, and 90s in which Jean lent her vocals to a wealth of great recordings! This great collection focuses on work in that category – uncollected sides from a three decade period, brought together in one album that shows just how great Jean can sound when she's singing with other artists. Many of these titles are quite hard to find otherwise, and haven't even shown up on other collections of Jean's work – and tracks include "Good Thng Goin On" with Billy Paul, "Holdin On" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington Jr, "Lean On Me" with Nathan Heathman, "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with The Temptations, "Love Is Beautiful" with Universe, "Star Flower" with Lonnie Liston Smith, "Let's Stay Together" with Bobby M, "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Mother Of The Future" with Norman Connors, and "Valentine Love" with Michael Henderson. Also features the bonus solo track "Trust Me" – never on CD before! CD

A stone cold live date from Charles Earland – recorded in Newark, at just the sort of club where he got his start! The tracks are quite long and openly grooving – even more so than Charles' killer studio sets from the time – and there's a bit of a harder edge here too, thanks partly to the live setting – and to the amazing young tenor work of Grover Washington Jr, who really sounds incredible here – much harder than in his later Kudu years! Other members of the group include trumpeter Gary Chandler – playing with a sound that's right up there with his landmark date on Eastbound Records – plus Maynard Parker on guitar, Jesse Kilpatrick on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on congas. As usual, Charles doesn't need a bassist to help him find a nice chunky bottom on the tunes – and he really sails out majestically throughout, with those famous long-running solo lines of his on the Hammond! Titles include "Killer Joe", "Milestones", and "Key Club Cookout". Features 2 bonus tracks too – "More Today Than Yesterday" and "Message From A Black Man". CD

Japanese pianist Masaru Imada is in his best fusion mode here – working with great help from American players Tom Browne on trumpet, Grover Washington Jr on soprano and tenor sax, Steve Khan on guitar, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Steve Jordan on drums! Imada plays both acoustic and electric piano, and the set has that perfect mix that happened with the best albums of this type – when a brilliant Japanese jazz musician came into contact with the cream of the crop of the American electric jazz scene – on a record that's got a strong sense of soul throughout! Things are tight, but never too slick or commercial – again that special balance that makes so many Japanese fusion projects so different than the smoother American work of the period. Titles include "Tropical Butterfly", "Jumpin Dolphin", "Seacret Sounds", "Blue Marine", "Angelfish", and "Smile For You". CD

Killer funkiness from Boogaloo Joe Jones! Grover Washington Jr makes an incredible appearance here – sounding much harder and heavier than on some of his Kudu recordings – more of a gritty soul jazz player, working beautifully alongside the sharp guitar of Boogaloo Joe Jones, and the sweet organ of Sonny Phillips! The groove is lean, clean, and a bit laidback – not as frenetic as some of Jones' other jams, but in a great way that shows a new sense of space and timing in his groove! Other players include Bernard Purdie on drums and Jimmy Lewis on Fender bass – and titles include "Inside Job", "Fadin", "What It Is", and a nice cover of "Ain't No Sunshine". Amazing guitar work throughout – and a very tight batch of funky jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial album from percussionist Ralph MacDonald – a set that not only catapulted him into the limelight, after strong work on countless records for other artists – but a record that also gave Ralph some long-standing fame, thanks to some key groovers on the set! The album's got a percussion-heavy take on funky fusion – never too over the top, but with more of an edge than some of the more polished 70s sessions on CTI or Columbia – although done with similar players who include Bob James on keyboards, Grover Washington Jr on soprano and tenor, Eric Gale on guitar, and Richard Tee on percussion. Ralph's congas are very strongly up in the mix – and heard to famous effect on the classic "Jam On The Groove", a killer break cut from the old days, as well as a nice version of "Mister Magic", plus the tracks "Calypso Breakdown", "Sound Of A Drum", and "Where Is The Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The latest from this hip producer, and an album that's got a cool sound that's 2 parts underground soul, and 3 parts mid 80s R&B – complete with guest appearances by Alison Moyet, Martin Fry, Kathy Sledge, Alma Horton, Grover Washington Jr, and Trugoy of De La Soul. In a way, this is the kind of modern R&B album that we always looked for back in the 80s, but rarely found put together so well. King Britt's production is enough to hold together the mad vision of the set – and the melange of guest stars comes out sounding remarkably coherent in the end. Titles include "Cobbs Creek", "Skipping Stones", "One & Only", "Romeo's Fate", "Incident On A Couch", "All The Way Live", "'84 Fantastik", and "Beauty Of Machines". CD

An excellent batch of funky jazz – and one of the hardest to find albums by the great Boogaloo Joe Jones! This one features him working with a young Grover Washington Jr on tenor, whose got a sound here that's way harder than on some of his later albums – and right up there with the best of the Prestige jazz funk greats. Sonny Phillips plays organ and electric piano, and the dark horse Butch Cornell gets in some organ licks on 2 tracks. Bernard Purdie holds down the fort nicely on drums, and the album's got a nice Fender bass to groove things strong in the rhythm department. Tracks include "No Way", "Holdin Back", "If You Were Mine", "Sunshine Alley", and "I'll Be There". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer funkiness from Boogaloo Joe Jones! Grover Washington Jr makes an incredible appearance here – sounding much harder and heavier than on some of his Kudu recordings – more of a gritty soul jazz player, working beautifully alongside the sharp guitar of Boogaloo Joe Jones, and the sweet organ of Sonny Phillips! The groove is lean, clean, and a bit laidback – not as frenetic as some of Jones' other jams, but in a great way that shows a new sense of space and timing in his groove! Other players include Bernard Purdie on drums and Jimmy Lewis on Fender bass – and titles include "Inside Job", "Fadin", "What It Is", and a nice cover of "Ain't No Sunshine". Amazing guitar work throughout – and a very tight batch of funky jazz! LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure from reedman Maulawi Nurudin – originally recorded as part of the Strata Records scene in Detroit, but done in Chicago in 1973 – and issued here for the first time ever! The vibe here is almost more Tribe Records than some of the other Strata sides – as Maulawi blows tenor and other reeds over these modal grooves with drums from Tani Tabbal, plus bass and keyboards from other unknown musicians – all in a laidback style that's rich and soulful – almost a spiritual jazz take on territory that would later be explored by Grover Washington Jr, especially given Maulawi's use of soprano sax! Titles include great takes on "Maiden Voyage", "People Make The World Go Round", and "I Say A Little Prayer" – plus the originals "Orotunds", "Where Is The Place", and an "Unknown Track". CD

Beautiful work from Randy Weston – and a unique electric session from the 70s! The feel is very different here than the angular modernism of Randy's roots – a warmer, more flowing sound – as you'd expect from the CTI label, and from Randy's use of electric piano as well as acoustic. The group is largeish, with key players who include Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Hubert Laws, and Grover Washington Jr – and although there's a larger horn section on the record, they mostly hang back and let the main soloists do their thing. Don Sebesky arranged, and the tracks are still originals with an African-inspired approach to rhythms – but more warmly soulful overall, as is the CTI way! Titles include "Night In Medina", "Marrakesh Blues", and "Ifrane". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Mark Colby really comes into his own on this late 70s set – crafting his own sweet lines on tenor and soprano sax, in modes that extend previous 70s fusion work from artists like Stanley Turrentine or Grover Washington Jr! Like both of those giants, Colby gets great backing here in a spacious electric style that allows plenty of room for the solos in the lead – with artists who include Bob James and Barry Miles on Fender Rhodes, Eric Gale and Steve Khan on guitars, and Mike Mainieri on vibes. Titles include "Capativa", "Village Zoo", "Peace Of Mind", "Skat Talk", and "Macbeth". LP, Vinyl record album

Prepare yourself for some massive guitar-heavy funk – with 2 classic Prestige albums from the legendary Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones! First up is No Way – a record that features him working with a young Grover Washington Jr on tenor, whose got a sound here that's way harder than on some of his later albums – and right up there with the best of the Prestige jazz funk greats. Sonny Phillips plays organ and electric piano, and the dark horse Butch Cornell gets in some organ licks on 2 tracks. Bernard Purdie holds down the fort nicely on drums, and the album's got a nice Fender bass to groove things strong in the rhythm department. Tracks include "No Way", "Holdin Back", "If You Were Mine", "Sunshine Alley", and "I'll Be There". What It Is is more killer funkiness from Boogaloo Joe Jones! Grover Washington Jr makes an incredible appearance here – sounding much harder and heavier than on some of his Kudu recordings – more of a gritty soul jazz player, working beautifully alongside the sharp guitar of Boogaloo Joe Jones, and the sweet organ of Sonny Phillips! The groove is lean, clean, and a bit laidback – not as frenetic as some of Jones' other jams, but in a great way that shows a new sense of space and timing in his groove! Other players include Bernard Purdie on drums and Jimmy Lewis on Fender bass – and titles include "Inside Job", "Fadin", "What It Is", and a nice cover of "Ain't No Sunshine". Amazing guitar work throughout – and a very tight batch of funky jazz! CD

Man, it's like a talent bomb exploded! This set's stuffed with work by some of the greatest jazz funk players of the early 70s – Johnny Hammond, Bob James, Deodato, George Benson, Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington Jr, Hubert Laws, and others – all playing together at a massive live concert recorded in Hollywood in 1972! And although you might worry that the collection of so many great talents on one stage might just create confusion – don't! The quality of the work is excellent – almost better than the best of the CTI studio sides, with a lean, clean sound that's really really tight – never overblown, just sweet electric funk with loads of great space for solo work. This 2CD set brings together all 3 volumes of the original album – for a total of 13 long long tracks that include "Blues Force", "Rock Steady", "Grits Bowl", "California Dreaming", "Inner City Blues/What's Going On", "People Make The World Go Round", "Cherry Red", and "Funkfathers". CD