Grover Washington Baddest

While it's true that Grover Washington, Jr.'s first album as a leader was the wonderful Inner City Blues album on Creed Taylor's Kudu label, the sessions included here predate it and feature Washington Jr. in the role of sideman to Charles Earland, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Boogaloo Joe Jones, and Leon Spencer Jr.. The nine cuts included here were recorded between September 1970 and August 1971. Most of them are straight-ahead blowing B-3 dates where the emphasis on groove and grit is equal and pervasive. While there isn't a weak track here and Washington's playing is deeper in the register than in his later material, there is one irritating factor about the assemblage of the album.

Reed Seed was Grover Washington, Jr.'s final album for Kudu/Motown. It was also one of two recordings his issued in 1978 – the other is the stone-killer live set Live at the Bijou. While the saxophonist had been experimenting with funk since 1971's Inner City Blues, by 1975's breakthrough recordings Mister Magic and Feels So Good, he'd perfected his groove. His appeal to fans of more radio-friendly material was ready: he had stellar grooves, very polished production, and accessible arrangements – not too mention his stellar emotive attack on any saxophone he chose to play. Many straight-ahead jazz fans dug Washington's sound as well because of his technical facility on his instruments.

The man who wrote the book on R&B/fusion returns with yet another set of what he does best. Washington's sax shares time with vocal tracks featuring the likes of Nancy Wilson, Lalah Hathaway, and the Four Tops. A solid, if predictible outing.

One of the most electrified of Grover Washington, Jr.'s albums, this Columbia set features the popular saxophonist (who plays soprano, alto and tenor) joined by oversized rhythm sections and plenty of keyboards on a variety of funky and danceable material.

With Jazz Loves Marvin Gaye, Universal has assembled a very solid jazz celebration of Gaye's work from their very own library of labels taken from recordings from the 1970s through the beginning of the new century. Highlights on this 11-track collection are numerous, though there aren’t any duds in the mix. The set opens with one of the highlights in Quincy Jones' reading of “What’s Going On.” Add to this the two now legendary Grover Washington Jr. performances of Gaye's tunes “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and the sublime, nearly 16-minute “Trouble Man,” Fred Wesley's “You Sure Love to Ball,” and Gato Barbieri's expansive Latin funk take on “I Want You”…

The story behind Grover Washington, Jr.'s first session date as a leader revolves around a sheer coincidence of being in the right place at the right time. The truth is, the date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was supposed to feature Hank Crawford in the soloist's chair. Crawford couldn't make the date and longtime sideman Washington got the nod. His being closely affiliated with organists Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond didn't hurt, and his alto and tenor saxophones' tone was instantly noticeable for both its song-like quality and Washington's unique ability to dig deep into R&B territory for his expression of feeling. Released in 1972, produced by Taylor, and arranged and orchestrated by Bob James, the list of players in this band is equally impressive: James played Fender Rhodes, there's Richard Tee on organ, bassist Ron Carter…