Inner City Blues

The recording session that produced saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.’s debut album was originally intended for label mate and fellow sax player Hank Crawford but, reportedly detained in Memphis for possession of marijuana, he couldn’t make the date. Washington, who was working a day job at the time, was booked to play on the session behind Crawford and stepped in, beginning the career of Kudu Records’ most commercially successful artist. 

Recorded in Van Gelder’s New Jersey studio in 1971 and featuring a star-studded line-up of musicians including drummer Idris Muhammad, Eric Gale on guitar, Ron Carter on bass and percussion from Airto Moreira, the six tracks are all covers of popular songs, tastefully arranged into gently grooving jazz instrumentals and sweetened with rich, opulent orchestration. The standout tracks are the pair of Marvin Gaye covers, which sound like almost ostentatiously lavish, wealthy relatives of the originals, and a brooding, steaming take on Bill Withers’ “Aint No Sunshine,” while Gershwin’s “I Loves You Porgy” is reworked into a swooning, romantic album finisher. Seventies jazz in a rich, smooth and sumptuous style.