#ericgale

Grover Washington Jr.  ⎯  Mister Magic

Live in Concert, June 27, 1981, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Eric Gale – Touch Of Silk

Touch of Silk is the sixth solo album by American jazz guitarist Eric Gale, originally released in 1980 on Columbia Records. The album is known for its soul-jazz and fusion sound, largely produced and arranged by the legendary Allen Toussaint.

Key Collaborators and Production The album's sound is heavily influenced by its esteemed production team and guest musicians. • Producer/Arranger: Allen Toussaint produced five of the seven cuts, bringing a "swamp funk" vibe to the project, according to Quincy Jones's liner notes. • Recording/Engineering: Many tracks were recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with Rudy Van Gelder himself engineering and mixing several songs. • Guest Musicians: The album features a stellar lineup, including: o Grover Washington Jr. (tenor and soprano saxophone) on "With You I'm Born Again". o Arthur Blythe and Harold Vick (saxophones) on "Au Privave". o Charles Earland (organ) and Idris Muhammad (drums) on certain tracks. o Steve Gadd and Harvey Mason also contributed on drums for some parts of the recording sessions that also included tracks for the Part of You album. Reception Touch of Silk has been described as having a rootsier feel compared to Gale's previous work, with critics praising Gale's soulful guitar sound and expressiveness. Reviewers at Jazzwise note the album highlights why Gale was a first-call session musician for many soul greats, from Aretha Franklin to Michael Jackson. AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars and stated: “Gale is a consummate soloist, full of lilting and biting grooves, with stunning phrasing that maximizes the rhythmic effect of his high strings (such as on "War Paint"), and he never plays an extra note.”

Eric Gale – Negril

Eric Gale – Part Of You

Eric Gale – Forecast

One of the most successful albums ever from guitarist Eric Gale – a laidback understated player whose mellow sound had a tremendous influence on mainstream jazz funk in the 70s! The album takes off from the late 60s CTI and Verve sessions by Wes Montgomery – and features Gale riffing out chromatically over tightly woven arrangements by Bob James, who also plays keyboards on the set. There’s no standout funky numbers on the record, but it’s got a great conception overall – with lots of dreamy grooves that sound very nice! (Dusty Groove).

Mark Colby – Serpentine Fire

A cigarette and a screw, these are the respective images that confront us with Serpentine Fire and One Good Turn. These are images photographed by Buddy Endress placed in designs by Paula Scher, originally released on Tappan Zee, a label centred around an ensemble of musicians under the direction of Bob James during the late 70s, early 80s heyday of jazz-fusion. The sound is rooted in the Fender Rhodes playing of Bob James, and is a more polished variation of a style born a few years earlier at CTI Records. However it was both defined and immortalised on Tappan Zee in 1978 on Bob’s theme to the TV series Taxi. It was the same year Mark Colby arrived at the label with Serpentine Fire. Both this debut and One Good Turn were produced by another name with a TV theme connection, Jay Chattaway. Mark is from New York, born in Brooklyn into a musical family. He took to the saxophone via the clarinet and began playing professionally on sessions with artists including Wilson Pickett and The Bee Gees. It was Maynard Ferguson who brought Mark back to New York to feature in his band, and at Columbia Records he met Bob James and that takes us to the start of his time at Tappan Zee.

Eric Gale – Multiplication

“Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gale began playing guitar at the age of 12. He became known first as a session musician in the 1960s, eventually appearing on an estimated 500 albums.