Brecker Brothers: Brecker Bros. (1975)

First date for brothers from 1975. Side one is solid jazz/funk/fusion. They called it "skunk-funk." With David Sanborn (as) and Don Grolnick (k).

Tracklist:1 Some Skunk Funk - Brecker 5:52
2 Sponge - Brecker Brothers, Brecker 4:06
3 A Creature of Many Faces - Brecker Brothers, Brecker 7:43
4 Twilight - Brecker 5:45
5 Sneakin' up Behind You - Brecker, Brecker, Grolnick, Lee… 4:55
6 Rocks - Brecker Brothers, Brecker 4:40
7 Levitate - Brecker 4:33
8 Oh My Stars - Brecker 3:16
9 D.B.B. - Brecker 4:46

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Bob Mintzer: Source (1982)

Source is Bob Mintzer's second album as a leader. Recorded in 1982 for the Cheetah label, it was previously released only in Japan. Source was recorded with an alternating larger ensemble that includes in various places keyboardists Don Grolnick and Mark Gray, guitarist Hugh McCracken, bassists Jaco Pastorius (with whom Mintzer had tenured on the Word of Mouth big band LP), and Will Lee, drummers Peter Erskine and Brian Brake, and horn players Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, and Alan Rubin, among others. In many ways this foreshadows the work that Mintzer would do with the Yellowjackets eight years later. It's sheeny studio jazz-funk and contemporary knotty big band work. This set contains a number of vocal performances by Carter Cathcart, on the soulful opener "Late Night with You," and the now dated funk of the title cut -- it's the vocoders, the compressed saxophone sound and particularly, the flat drums. This isn't a stellar date by any stretch of the imagination, but hearing Pastorius on the title cut redeems it somewhat. There is also the Afro-Latin groove on "I Don't Know" which has teeth and a killer arrangement, but the production is a little sterile. "Mr. Fone Bone" fares far better with Pastorius and a melody that could have been written by him and performed by Weather Report. Grolnick's B-3 underneath all those horns is particularly wonderful. Mintzer begins a solo only to interrupt it with a knotty horn arrangement that changes the color of the tune while it cooks on the strength of the rhythm section. It's the album's best moment. "Centering" is a small group ballad with a lovely solo from Mintzer on tenor. The final cut, "Spiral," begins almost classically with the winds and horns playing delicately before opening into a funky jazz romp, again with Pastorius' bass leading the charge. But the tune doesn't stay there; it's nuanced, with an assortment of textures and dynamics that make it one of the great exercises of restraint in Mintzer's career. It's a fine finish. Musically, there is a lot to enjoy here, and if the '80s over-production doesn't get in your way as a listener, it's easy to recommend this.

Personnel: Bob Mintzer (vocals, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, drums, background vocals); Randy Brecker (horns); Don Grolnick (keyboards); Jaco Pastorius (electric Bass); Will Lee (electric bass); Frank Malabe, Manolo Badrena, Frank Malabe (percussion); Corey Davidson (programming); Carter Cathcarte (background vocals); Hugh McCracken, Bill Washer (guitar); Carl Poole (flute); Tom "Bones" Malone, Alan Raph (trombone); Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff (horns); Mark Gray (keyboards); Tom Barney (electric bass); Peter Erskine, Brian Brake (drums); Chuggy Carter (percussion); Lillias White (background vocals).

Tracklist:
1 Late Night With You   
2 Don't Lock the Door   
3 Source   
4 I Don't Know   
5 Mr Fone Bone
6 Centering   
7 Spiral
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John Tropea: A Short Trip To Space (1977)

One of the best fusion albums of the '70s! I picked this up on LP right after it went out of print and then proceeded to grab about 15 copies of it whenever I could find it cheap. I never thought it would come out on CD, but there it was a few years ago. Thank you, Japan! The cover artwork by Larry Laslo is really cool (from a time when cover art meant something), and the music is great if you like jazz fusion with an emphasis on melody. Tropea is at his best here, with great melodies like Skip Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love," Don Grolnick's "You Can't Have It All," and Tropea's own "Blue Too" (one of my all-time favorites) and "Short Trip to Space," a fascinating and complex tune that actually sounds like its title. The production is excellent, with a double-drum setup featuring Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta on most of the tunes that adds a lot of depth to the sound. Boosting the treble on your system will help this set sound even better. One detraction: "The Funk You See Is the Funk You Do" is not the LP version but a hacked up single version with very noticeable edits. It's not a great loss, although the tune is rather amusing and it sounds better in its complete form.

Tracklist:
1. The Funk You See, Is The Funk You Do
2. Can't Hide Love
3. Southside
4. You Can't Have It all
5. Short Trip To Space
6. Blue Too
7. Love's Final Moment
8. Twist Of The Wrist

All song arranged and orchestrated by John Tropea, except "You Can't Have It All" arranged by Don Grolnick, orchestrated by John Tropea, "Blue Too" arranged by John Tropea, strings and horns orchestrated by David Spinozza, "Love's Final Moment" arranged and orchestrated by Mike Mainieri, "Twist Of The Wrist" arranged and orchestrated by David Spinozza

Personnel:

guitar : John Tropea 
keyboards : Don Grolnick, Leon Pendarvis 
vibes : Mike Mainieri 
bass guitar : Will Lee 
acoustic bass : Richard Davis 
drums : Rick Marotta, Steve Gadd 
percussion : Rubens Bassini, Ralph MacDonald 
Michael Brecker : tenor saxophone solo 
Randy Brecker : trumpet solo 
harp : Margaret Ross 
vocals : Ron Cartalemi, Jeffrey Kawalek, Will Lee, John Tropea 
background vocals and hand claps : Charlie Blackwell, Duncan Cleary, Brian Drake, Bruce Goldberg, Bill Guerra, Lani Groves, Will Lee 
horn section I
(except 3,7)  : Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn), Lewis Del Gatto, Michael Brecker, George Young, Lou Marini (reeds), Tony Price (tuba), Dave Taylor, Sam Burtis (trombone) 
horn section II
(on 3)  : Lou Del Gatto (flute), Elen Sieling (trumpet), Jeanne Dindberg (alto saxophone), Jeff King (tenor saxophone) 
horn section III
(on 7) : Lewis Del Gatto (english horn), Ron Jannelli (bassoon), George Young (flute), Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin (french horn)
string section : Gene Orloff, Kermit Moore, Jessy Levy, Joe Malin, Aaron Rosand, Selwart Clarke, Theodore Israel, Noel Da Costa, Guy Lumia, Gerald Tarack, Lewis Eley, Peter Dimitriades

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David Spinozza: ST (1978)

David Spinozza is an American musician (guitar), who worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor's album Walking Man.

Spinozza worked with McCartney during sessions for McCartney's Ram album during 1971. When the chance came to work with Lennon two years later, as Yoko Ono prepared her Feeling the Space album and Lennon his Mind Games, Spinozza discovered that Lennon was not aware he had previously worked with McCartney, and was afraid he would be fired if Lennon found out, given their recent feuding in the media. When Lennon did learn of it, his only comment was that McCartney "knows how to pick good people."
Spinozza contributed to Ono's album A Story, recorded during 1974 (but not released until 1998), served as her bandleader during a residency at Kenny's Castaways, and rehearsed Ono's band to tour her native Japan, but parted ways with her when the tour began. After no communication for several years, Ono contacted Spinozza late in 1980, for his permission to release "It Happened", a track from A Story, as a B-side to "Walking on Thin Ice", her tribute to the recently-assassinated John Lennon and the last song they had recorded together. Spinozza gave his permission. The track appeared with a new coda, recorded by Lennon and Ono's band from Double Fantasy.
Spinozza also appeared on Ringo Starr's 1977 album Ringo the 4th, earning him the distinction of having recorded with three of the four Beatles.
Spinozza played the guitar solo on Dr. John's hit, "Right Place Wrong Time", Paul Simon's albums Paul Simon and There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Don McLean's American Pie, and later made contributions to the soundtracks of the movies Dead Man Walking, Happiness, and Just the Ticket. The first album David produced in its entirety was the Folk rock trio Arthur, Hurley & Gottlieb who were signed by Clive Davis during his ten years as president Columbia records.
He held the first guitar chair in the Broadway orchestra of Hairspray, and is currently appearing with his reunited band from 1973, "L'Image" which also includes Mike Mainieri, Warren Bernhardt, Tony Levin and Steve Gadd.

Tracklist:

1 Superstar - Bramlett, Bramlett, Russell 5:45
2 On My Way to the Liquor Store Pendarvis 6:52
3 Prelude to "The Ballerina" - Spinozza 3:13
4 The Ballerina - Spinozza 5:27
5 Edge of the Sword - Mainieri, Spinozza 5:01
6 Country Bumpkin - Mainieri, Spinozza 4:06
7 Doesn't She Know by Now - Spinozza 4:45
8 Airborne - Spinozza 5:35
9 High Button Shoes - Monnsey 3:19

Personnel:

David Spinozza : electric guitar (on 1,2,5,8,9), acoustic guitar (on 3,4,7), vocals (on 4)
Joe Caro : guitar (on 1,2,5,6,8,9)
Anthony Jackson : bass (except on 3)
Rick Marotta : drums (on 1,6,7,8)
Steve Jordan : drums (on 2,5,9)
Mike Mainieri : polymoog synthesizer (on 1), synthesizer (on 2,6), percussion (on 6), vibes (on 8), xylophone (on 9)
Leon Pendarvis : acoustic piano (on 1,2,7), electric piano (on 6)
Rob Mounsey : electric piano (on 2,8,9)
Warren Bernhardt : acoustic piano (on 4,9), clavinet/Fender Rhodes/synth (on 5)
Don Grolnick : acoustic piano (on 6)
Gary Mure : percussion (on 4)
David Carey : percussion (on 4)
Rubens Bassini : percussion (on 5)
Eric Weisberg : banjo/pedal steel guitar (on 6)
Michael Brecker : tenor saxohone (on 7)
Luther Vandross : background vocals (on 1,7)
David Lasley : background vocals (on 1,7)
Diva Gray : background vocals (on 1,7)
Kim Carlson : background vocals (on 3), scat vocal (on 8)

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