The Pecan Tree
Joe Sample
Howard Hewett, Paulinho Da Costa, Peter Wolf
Engineer: Bill Schnee
PRA Records, 2008
1 CD
Catalogue #: 314 589 508-
EAN: 0782356060227
UPC: 782356060227
You save: 20%
Personnel includes: Joe Sample (piano); Howard Hewett, Lizz Wright (vocals); Peter Wolf (synthesizer); Dean Parks (guitar); Jay Anderson (bass); Larry Aberman, James Gadson (drums); Lenny Castro, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).
Recorded at Schnee, Universal City, California; Oceanway, Tyrell Studios, Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by Joe Sample.
Personnel: Joe Sample (piano); Dean Parks (guitar); Peter Wolf (synthesizer); Jay Anderson (bass instrument); Larry Aberman (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).
Recording information: Schnee Studio, Universal City, CA.
Although pianist Joe Sample is perhaps best known for his adventurous fusion work in the 1970s with the Crusaders, as a solo artist he has favored a somewhat mellower yet no less artful brand of jazz that draws from post bop as well as Latin, gospel, and R&B. THE PECAN TREE represents this latter strain of Sample's work, drawing on Southern musical elements both north and south of the border.
Song titles like "Hot and Humid" and "Spanish Moss" give the album a sense of place, but it's Sample's fleet-fingered melodic sense that stands out, along with the playing by excellent personnel such as percussionist Lenny Castro. Singers Howard Hewitt (formerly of Shalimar) and Lizz Wright add a refreshing sparkle to some tracks, deepening THE PECAN TREES' connection to gospel and R&B music.
Tracklist
Joe Sample
A keyboardist and composer of great finesse, Joe Sample has had the opportunity to excel in several musical arenas. As a founding member of the influential Jazz Crusaders (later just the Crusaders) in the 1960s, he helped to create the soul-jazz fusion associated with the era. He has also been a sought-after session player, gracing many important recordings by Motown artists and other jazz, rock, and R&B stars. As a member of Tom Scott's L.A. Express he backed Joni Mitchell on her seminal '70s albums, and he has written songs covered by soul singer Randy Crawford and blues guitarist B.B. King. Additionally, he has released acclaimed solo albums at a steady clip since the '70s, featuring his own sophisticated jazz compositions.
Howard Hewett
The group Shalamar had an enviable career at the height of the disco era, with several charting dance hits and a high, gleaming profile. After the successful solo departure of fellow vocalist Jody Watley, Howard Hewett split with the group in 1986 to explore his own career. He released several well-received albums of soulful, gospel-tinged R&B, heavy on the romantic slow jams, and contributed to albums by several jazz fusion artists who made use of his supple, multi-octave voice. In 2001, he channeled his church-music influences into a full-on gospel album (and a live follow-up of the same material), creating an even wider fan base for his intimate, passionate crooning.
