GROVER WASHINGTON JR – PARADISE LP – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK JAZZ

Grover Washington Jr – Paradise
(Elektra Records  1979  K52130  Elektra Butterfly Labels)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

Sleeve in Nr MINT- condition
– one small ringwear rub at the bottom
Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Grover Washington, Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wrote some of his material and later became an arranger and producer.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Washington made some of the genre’s most memorable hits, including “Mister Magic,” “Reed Seed,” “Black Frost,” “Winelight,” “Inner City Blues” and “The Best is Yet to Come”. In addition, he performed very frequently with other artists, including Bill Withers on “Just the Two of Us” (still in regular rotation on radio today), Patti LaBelle on “The Best Is Yet to Come” and Phyllis Hyman on “A Sacred Kind of Love”. He is also remembered for his take on the Dave Brubeck classic “Take Five”, and for his 1996 version of “Soulful Strut“.

Washington had a preference for black nickel-plated saxophones made by Julius Keilwerth. These included a SX90R alto and SX90R tenor. He also played Selmer Mark VI alto in the early years. His main soprano was a black nickel plated H.Couf Superba II (also built by Keilwerth for Herbert Couf) and a Keilwerth SX90 in the last years of his life.

Paradise is an album by jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. Released in 1979, this was Washington’s first album on Elektra Records.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Grover Washington Jr.; except where indicated.

1. “Paradise” (John Blake) – 7:55
2. “Icey” (Millard Vinson) – 3:48
3. “The Answer in Your Eyes” (Washington, Richard Steacker) – 8:24
4. “Asia’s Theme” (James Simmons) – 5:03
5. “Shana” – 5:06
6. “Tell Me About It Now” – 5:27
7. “Feel It Comin'” (Richard Steacker) – 5:15

Personnel

• Grover Washington Jr. – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, arrangements (3, 5, 6, 7), electric piano (7)
• James “Sid” Simmons – acoustic piano, electric piano, arrangements (2, 4)
• Richard Lee Steacker – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, arrangements (3)
• Tyrone Brown – acoustic bass, electric bass
• Millard “Pete” Vinson – drums, Syndrums
• Leonard “Doc” Gibbs – assorted percussions
• John Blake Jr. – violin, arrangements (1)

Production

• Grover Washington, Jr. – producer
• Fred Galletti – engineer
• Al Alberts, Jr. – assistant engineer
• Frank Bernardini – assistant engineer
• Mike Bonghi – assistant engineer
• Jerry Williamson – assistant engineer
• Rudy Van Gelder – mastering at Van Gelder Studios (Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
• Ron Coro – art direction
• Johnny Lee – art direction
• John Collier – illustration
• Paul Wilson – photography