Inner City Blues [Original recording reissued]

Grover Washington Jr. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 1995)
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001AAB
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,139 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

2. Georgia on My Mind

3. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

4. Ain't No Sunshine/Theme from "Man and Boy" (Better Days)

5. Until It's Time for You to Go

6. I Loves You, Porgy

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This 1971 date was Washington's first as a leader, after playing and recording with the small organ combos of Charles Earland and Johnny "Hammond" Smith. It's unheard-of for a jazz musician to make his debut complete with strings, horns, and vocal group, but Washington apparently got the opportunity when the backing tracks were in place for a Hank Crawford album and Crawford was out of the country. Stranger still, Washington is usually playing alto here rather than his customary soprano or tenor. It was an instrument he hadn't played in years, and the result of his horn switching is a compellingly original sound that's almost sopranolike. Despite the circumstances, Washington brings a lot of himself to this music, making personal statements of two contemporary Marvin Gaye songs, "Inner City Blues" and "Mercy, Mercy Me," and the standards "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Loves You, Porgy." He also puts together an effective combination of Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" and J.J. Johnson's "Theme from Man and Boy." Whether it's the tight combo of "Inner City Blues" or the full-blown orchestra with strings and backing vocals, this is soul jazz of the first rank. --Adam Rains

Product Description

Washington's best-selling, star-making soul-jazz debut from '71, out of print for years! Bob James did the arrangements and Grover shines on tenor, alto, soprano and electric piano on his R&B hit Inner City Blues ; sweet versions of Georgia on My Mind; Mercy Mercy Me; Ain't No Sunshine , and more. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where it all began, May 21, 2008

By 

Olukayode Balogun (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inner City Blues (Audio CD)

This 1971 release was Grover Washington, Jr's debut for Motown (or was it CTI/Kudu?) and sees the saxophone virtuoso in soulful but raw form. He tackles the Motown-era song catalogue with gusto and I guess one could call it smooth jazz but make no mistake: this is not the lazy kind of smooth jazz as is done by the likes of Kenny G, George Howard, Dave Koz, Marion Meadows (shudder) or even Kirk Whalum (who I can just about tolerate, in places). As opposed to merely covering other people's songs, think of this as reinterpreting them. His take on Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" is a jazz-funk masterpiece as is the shorter "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology). His version of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" (at 8mins 33secs, the longest song here) almost brings tears to the eye. It is simply beautiful.

Produced by Creed Taylor and arranged by a young Bob James, GWJ (on alto and tenor saxophone) is joined by an all-star cast, including James himself on electric piano, Richard Tee on organ, Idris Muhammed on the drums, Eric Gale on guitar and Airto Moreira on percussion. There are only six songs and the whole affair is over in just over 35 mins but it is so worth it - if you're either a GWJ fan or a fan of early saxophone jazz fusion.

My collection of GWJ CDs is almost complete! All I need now is "All The King's Horses", his 1972 follow-up to this album (was selling here for an eye-watering $105.00 but is no longer available) and his 1979 album Skylarkin' (on offer for a hysterical $350.00) and I'll have the full set. I have the former on vinyl and the latter on cassette so I can afford to wait. They are sure to be re-issued sooner or later.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inner City Blues, December 19, 1999

By 

Deborah J. Lonon (Mesquite, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inner City Blues (Audio CD)

In December of 1976, my apartment was destroyed by fire. One of the treasures I lost was Grover Washington Jr's., Inner City Blues, record album. With so much to do after the fire, I did not have a chance to replace the destroyed albums. When I finally began replacing albums, Mr.Washington had changed record labels and I could not find Inner City Blues; until today, on Amazon.Com, nearly 23 years ago to the day that I lost it in the fire! The music has stayed with me all these years, and I eagerly await the CD that I just ordered.

The music was haunting, energetic and blusey. How ironic that I sought and found his music again, just days, sadly, after his passing.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LONG BEFORE 'SMOOTH JAZZ' MEANT SOMETHING HORRIBLE..., September 21, 2000

By 

L. S. Slaughter "silvanus" (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inner City Blues (Audio CD)

This fine CD was Grover's mesmerizing debut on the scene in '72. The orange graphic and the covers of Marvin Gaye tunes pulled me into taking a chance on a new artist instead of replacing a scratched Led Zeppelin II LP.

Oddly enough,the title tune didn't do much for me, but all that followed was a milestone in my wholly tortured adolescence. Grover seduced me further into jazz, and even into free-form eventually, and to this day I still enjoy listening to his reinditions of "Until Its Time for You to Go" and "I Loves You Porgy," which takes miraculous flight mid-way through its duration.

However, it's truly sad that Motown has not seen fit to re-issue one of Grover's shining moments from the same year as heard on the Johnny Hammond Smith Kudu LP, "Breakout", wherein Grover cut loose with a five minute sax solo on "It's Too Late" (yes, the old Carole King standard)with Hammond-Smith's cool acid-jazz organ swirling underneath. Hello Motown, hello???

Thanks Grover, and rest in peace.