Grover Washington, Jr in Concert - Standing Room Only 1990 (DVD-5)

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Grover Washington, Jr in Concert - Standing Room Only 1990 (DVD-5)

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The late saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. was playing "smooth jazz" long before there even was such a term. Then again, whoever invented Muzak was a pioneer of sorts, too, which goes to show that innovation doesn't necessarily make for great art. The analogy isn't inappropriate. Washington's fusion of breezy melodies, flowing funk-lite grooves, slapping bass riffs, and synthesizer chords (all amply displayed throughout this hourlong concert) too often resembles elevator music with a beat. It's a blend that made him rich, as tunes like "Winelight" and "Just the Two of Us" (the latter played as part of a medley, without the Bill Withers vocal that helped make it a hit) connected with a broad audience that doesn't really like jazz but finds it digestible when it comes with a sugar coating. To be fair, the saxophonist (who triples on tenor, alto, and soprano horns) and his band do cook up some hard-charging, infectious grooves, especially on "Let It Flow"; they're all good players, and the sound mix on this disc is superb. But Washington, who has the chops of the jazz musician he once was, could do so much more. There's an antiseptic quality to this music; while it might rock, it simply doesn't swing (the exception is "Blues for DP"). One surprise: a cover of Steely Dan's "Time Out of Mind," which at first sounds as slick and superficial as the rest of Washington's repertoire but actually is by far the most melodically and harmonically engaging tune in the set.

–Sam Graham - Amazon.com

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Grover Washington, Jr in Concert - Standing Room Only 1990 (DVD-5)

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