LP REVIEW: low ridin’ with the Earl and David Matthews Orchestra, Delta Lady (1980)
ELECTRIC BIRD K28P-6028, JAPAN, ISSUED BY KING RECORD COMPANY Ltd.
Artist
First I thought David Matthews was Dave Matthews, the lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). But no. It’s David Matthews and he’s done a tremendous amount of great stuff. You should check out his website. He was born in Sonora, Kentucky on March 4, 1942.
From l970 to 1974 he was the bandleader for James Brown Productions. He worked with Buddy Rich, Bonnie Raitt, T Bone Walker, Stephanie Mills, Earl Klugh, Phoebe Snow, Donald Bird, Crystal Gayle, David Sanborn and Paul Simon to name but a few. He composed radio and TV commercials and film scores. He worked in Japan for King Records between l979 and 1989. He was the musical director for the Simon and Garfunkel Reunion Concert in Central Park and he arranged the Radio City Memorial Concert for John Lennon in 2001. He is now 80 years old.
Label
KING FIRST
You cannot write about Electric Bird without talking about the parent company. King Records started in 1930 as a record department within Kodansha, a large book publishing firm. In 1931 the first recorded product went on sale through a contract with Teldec Schallplatten (=records) of Germany and in the same year, King began to release Telefunken recordings in Japan. King’s first stereo LPs were released in 1959. King Records also manufactures and distributes music by labels such as Blue Note, A&M Records, and CTI Records.
BIRD SECOND
I could not find much about the Electric Bird label. According to this website they did about 48 releases, some with notable artists such as drummer Steve Gadd (of Steely Dan and Paul Simon fame), Michel Camilo (jazz piano virtuoso), and star Japanese jazz artists such as pianist Toshiyuki Honda.
Music
Everybody needs some eighties smooth jazz fusion in their LP collection. This is a slick production, nobody plays a wrong note and it’s just a professional job all around. It’s really an Earl Klugh album and that’s a good thing. The David Matthews orchestra functions as the backdrop for Earl Klugh’s smooth and relaxed guitar playing.
Delta Lady was recorded at the Electric Lady Studio, New York, from June 24-26, 1980 – the studio made famous by Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix.
Smooth jazz or fusion made room for saxophonists such as Grover Washington Jr., Boney James, David Sanborn, and groups like Steps Ahead. Radio stations in cities across the US and Europe were playing fusion and this paved the way for vocalists such as Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, and Sade. David Matthews and his orchestra fall smack in the middle of that fusion tradition with this 1980’s album. You can listen to the full album on youtube.
Our review record sounds excellent and has that eighties vibe all over it. This is feel-good music. Easy to listen to. If you want intense, go and listen to Led Zeppelin, because this ain’t that 🙂
RAW Music Store
This record is not available on the Raw Music Store website so you have to ask Sam or Yassine when you get to the shop. It’s an original issue pressed by its parent company, King Record Company which is famous for its excellent-sounding Japanese Blue Note issues. This thing is 42 years old and it’s like new (!), only 50 AED and it comes with insert and OBI strip. Cool Beans, as they said in the eighties (really. you can look it up).
Tracks
A1. Funky Turkey – 4:27
A2. If – 4:08
A3. Gosman’s Gazebo – 4:43
A4. Spanish Heat – 5:05
B1. Mato Grosso – 4:39
B2. Rolling Song – 2:51
B3. Westlake Drive – 4:41
B4. Delta Lady – 5:28
Personnel
- Acoustic Guitar – Earl Klugh
- Baritone Saxophone, Flute [Alto Flute] – Ronnie Cuber
- Drums – Jim Madison
- Electric Bass – Gordy Johnson
- Electric Guitar – Paul Metzky
- Electric Piano, Arranged By, Conductor – David Matthews
- French Horn – Fred Griffin
- Percussion – Dave Charles
- Soprano Saxophone, Flute – David Tofani
- Tenor Saxophone, Flute – George Young
- Trombone – Sam Burtis
- Trumpet – Burt Collins, Joe Sheppley
- Tuba – Tony Price