Mister Magic
| Mister Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jazz funk[1] | ||||
| Length | 32:51 | |||
| Label | Kudu Records | |||
| Producer | Creed Taylor | |||
| Grover Washington Jr. chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Motown Jazz reissue | ||||
Mister Magic is the fourth album by jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., released in February 1975. The album topped both the soul and jazz albums chart and peaked at number ten on the pop chart.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [5] |
Reviewing for pop jazz tradition of Gene Ammons, but the rhythm section percolates danceably, and the result is sexy background music only superficially marred by Bob James's strings."[6]
In a retrospective review for
Allmusic, Scott Yanow gave the album five out of five stars and said that it is "one of Grover Washington Jr.'s best-loved recordings and considered a classic of r&bish jazz." He found Washington to be in "particularly creative form" and called James' arrangements "colorful if somewhat commercial".[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Earth Tones" | Bob James | 12:20 |
| 2. | "Passion Flower" | Billy Strayhorn, Milt Raskin | 5:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mister Magic" | Ralph MacDonald | 8:58 |
| 2. | "Black Frost" | Bob James, Grover Washington Jr. | 6:03 |
| Total length: | 32:51 | ||
Personnel
- Grover Washington Jr. – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Fender Rhodes, arrangements and conductor
- Eric Gale – guitars
- Phil Upchurch – bass (1)
- Gary King – bass (2, 3, 4)
- Harvey Mason – drums
- Ralph MacDonald – percussion
Brass and Reed Section
- Phil Bodner – baritone saxophone
- Jerry Dodgion – tenor saxophone
- Tony Studd – bass trombone
- Wayne Andre – trombone
- Jon Faddis and Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
String Section
- Charles McCracken and Alan Shulman – cello
- Alfred Brown and Emanuel Vardi – viola
- Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien and Matthew Raimondi – violin
Production
- Creed Taylor – producer
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
- Bob Ciano – album design
- Alen MacWeeney – photography
- Doug Ramsey – liner notes
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[7] | 10 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[7] | 1 |
| Billboard Top Jazz Albums[7] | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[8] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B | ||
| 1975 | "Mister Magic" | 54 | 16 |
References
- ^ Maclaren, Trevor (July 13, 2004). "Grover Washington Jr.: Mister Magic". All About Jazz. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (June 16, 1975). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Grover Washington Jr. US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
- ^ "Grover Washington Jr. US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
External links
- Mister Magic at Discogs (list of releases)
