Covering Marvin
Reuben Wilson
Grover Washington Jr.
Listen/Download – Reuben Wilson – Inner City Blues
Listen/Download – Grover Washington Jr. – Inner City Blues
Listen/Download – Grover Washington Jr. – Mercy Mercy Me
Greetings all.
Here’s simultaneously hoping that you all are well and telling you that things are progressing as well as can be expected in our corner of the world.
My incredibly brave wife is standing tall despite chemo beating her like a rented mule.
These are hard times (a la Curtis Mayfield, Gene Chandler and Baby Huey) for her to endure treatment and for us to watch her do it.
It is alternately inspiring and disheartening, since the process reveals her ever deeper well of resilience, but also a seemingly endless supply of physical and psychological pain for her to deal with.
But, deal with it she does.
My thanks go out to the doctors and nurses who are helping her (and all of us) through this experience, as well as all the good folks who have sent messages of hope and prayer.
I’ve never had a huge amount of faith in humanity, but this experience – no matter how harrowing on its face – has also exposed our family to an extraordinary show of kindness and generosity from family and friends.
If there is an upside to this, that is it and it is humbling.
My (our) thanks to all of you.
Since I can’t guarantee more than one post a week while all of this is going on, I figure it behooves me to ensure that it brings with it a healthy dose of sounds, on which you can focus your aural ruminations until the next time I can get it together.
While I was combing the wilds of my hard drive, I happened upon a Reuben Wilson album, with an especially Hammond-groovy take on Marvin Gaye’s ‘Inner City Blues’ from his (Reuben’s) 1972 ‘The Sweet Life’ LP.
As I was giving it a listen, it occurred to me that I had other cool covers of cuts from ‘What’s Going On’ in storage – of a similar vintage – and that I ought to pair them up in the dual causes of thematic consistency and general good music-ness.
I doubt that anyone reading this will dispute the greatness of Marvin’s 1971 epic, considered by many to be his greatest work, and one of the single finest soul LPs ever recorded.
It was a significant hit for Gaye, and it’s influence was far reaching, generating many cover versions across the soul, funk and jazz spectrums.
The first track I bring you today is the aforementioned Reuben Wilson take on ‘Inner City Blues’ (see Funky16Corners Radio v.24.5 for a very nice cover of this tune by Brian Auger).
Wilson is one of my favorite jazz funk organists of the classic era, never flashy but always stylish and on point. While he doesn’t always get the shine that some of his better known contemporaries do, his work with the Wildare Express (on Brunswick) and solo sides for Blue Note and Groove Merchant are essential.
His take on ‘Inner City Blues’ grooves hard, with some very nice soloing on the Hammond and tight, funky backing by his group.
The second and third cuts in this post are from an artist that continually shows up in surprising places.
Grover Washington Jr is a cat that I only knew from his big hits, and always assumed to have sprung up, fully formed as one of the standard bearers of smooth, R&B inflected jazz.
However, it was during my obsessive Hammond digging that I discovered that he had played with the Mark 3 Trio, and had done time in Philly area combos with none other than the mighty Charles Earland also recording as a sideman for other Prestige artists like Boogaloo Joe Jones, and Leon Spencer.
A few years back someone hepped me to his first solo album ‘Inner City Blues’, recorded for the Kudu label in 1971.
Backed by a serious group of sidemen, including Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Eric Gale, Bob James and Richard Tee, Washington displayed a tougher side of his sound.
I was surprised when I discovered how much work he did as a sideman for organists like Johnny Hammond Smith and Dr Lonnie Smith (were they giving everyone named Smith a Hammond organ??), as I was to discover how much I dug this album.
I was initially going to post only his lyrical, mellow cover of ‘Mercy Mercy Me’, but as I was writing this post I was listening to the album and decided that I had to include the title cut from the album as well.
Washington’s version of ‘Inner City Blues’ features some wild guitar as well as some very cool sax work by the man himself that I rougher than just about anything I’ve ever heard him play.
And really, could anyone possibly not dig the opportunity to hear two very cool versions of a song like this?
I thought not.
So, dig the Marvin worship and if I’m not back before Friday, remember that the Funky16Corners Radio Show will be back Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, and then posted as an MP3 on Saturday.
Keep the faith and I’ll see you when I see you.
Peace
Larry
Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.
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Cover Songs, Digging, Funk, Funky16Corners, Funky16Corners@Viva Internet Radio, Hammond Grooves, Instrumental, Jazz funk, LP tracks, R&B, Soul, Soul Jazz
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Themocracy
Keeping the faith with you & yours, Larry – please know my good thoughts join those of the many, many others whose lives you touch!
Good stuff Larry,I’m a big fan of the early Grover L.Ps, ‘Mr Magic’ being a fave. Grover was also on the ‘What’s going on’ L.P recorded by Johnnie Hammond Smith.Another great cover.
Stay strong,ATB Tony.
@Holly – Thanks so much!
@Tony – I don’t have that Johnny Hammond Smith, I’ll have to watch for that one.
Then there’s Grover’s sixteen-minute take on “Trouble Man” from Soul Box (Vol. 1). I’ll be giving that a spin soon.
Courage, friend. My thoughts are with you.
Thanks for the tip Mark! He does ‘Masterpiece’ on that one too. Just grabbed a copy.
Onward, my brother. Hang in there.
I am kind of a lurker here, but just noticed your mention of your wife going through chemo. Just wanted to let you know that I am wishing her all the best, and hoping for her return to health as soon as possible. Keep on truckin’!
Hi Larry, I’ve just caught up with f16c after a long absence. Thoughts are with your wife and family, Larry. Stronger and stronger my friend.
Hey Larry and Family,
I was so sad to read your initial post of trouble…glad to hear your wife and y’all are hanging in. All good thoughts coming your way. I love your wife for telling you to keep up the posting and music. Thanks to her, you and the little Corners.
Peace and Best Wishes.
Be strong, Larry. Much love to you and fam. Thanks for the soul…
Larry,
My family went through hell 10 years ago last month, and it does get better — never the same, but better. Have faith and let the music help you get through it.
Best wishes and prayers.
Time doesn’t allow me to regularly drop in on your blog (& more shamefully do more than post a handful of comments a year) but I do catch up. Like the other visitors to your blog your news has touched me & I wish your wife ,you & your children all the best at this time.
Nize! Gave yer a mention here: https://uzine.posterous.com/jazz-loves-marvin-gaye
(Nize: the music. Hope all else is well and for the better. I wish you a marvellous new year.)