Search - Grover Washington Jr :: Discovery

Tenor saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. was one of the most popular instrumentalists of all time, thanks to his hits, which include "Mr. Magic" and "Just the Two Us." But this CD of his first recordings as a jazz sideman from the early '70s shows that he was well grounded in straight-ahead swing and that Washington's robust, deep-toned sound was already fully formed in his early years. His fine and fiery solo work with organists Charles Earland, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, and Leon Spencer highlight the saxophonist's deep debt to Gene Ammons and Coleman Hawkins. Washington's tracks with guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones, including an impassioned reading of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move," are equally impressive. On the uptempo blues "No Way" and the live rendition of Benny Golson's "Killer Joe," Grover Washington Jr. proudly displays his jazz heritage. --Eugene Holley Jr.