Description

WINELIGHT, featuring the track “Just The Two Of Us,” went platinum and garnered two Grammy awards.
Personnel: Grover Washington, Jr. (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Bill Withers (vocals); Paul Griffin, Richard Tee (Fender Rhodes); Raymond Chew (Clavinet); Bill Eaton, Ed Walsh (synthesizer); Eric Gale (guitar); Marcus Miller (bass); Steve Gadd (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Hilda Harris, Yvonne Lewis, Ullanda McCullough (background vocals).
Producers: Grover Washington, Jr, Ralph MacDonald.
Recorded in June and July 1980.
Also available with COME MORNING on 1 cassette.
WINELIGHT is probably one of Grover Washington’s best-loved albums. It includes Bill Withers’ Grammy Award winning song “Just the Two of Us,” and other well-executed smooth jazz compositions. Washington has long been one of the leaders in R&B-influenced jazz, and this album consolidates his claim to fame as one of the fathers of this often misunderstood sub-genre.
Steve Gadd’s smart drumming gives each song a relaxed, infectious groove. The saxophonist really unwinds on tunes such as “Let it Flow (for “Dr. J.)” and “Make Me a Memory (Sad Samba),” improvising over a soulful blend of blues, jazz, and pop, a combination both accessible to mainstream pop listeners and musically compelling to jazz fans.