Playlist and notes for Happy Born Day: Grover Washington, Jr. – Creed Taylor Produced (ctproduced.com)
| # | Title | Artist | Notes | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who Is Sylvia | Johnny Hammond | Recorded just a month after Grover’s “Inner City Blues” album, and before the album was released, Washington was again sideman to Hammond for his 2nd KUDU album “Johnny Hammond – Wild Horses Rock Steady | Releases | Discogs” . On this track, from the stage play, “The Two Gentleman of Verona”, Grover’s plays a great solo slotted in between Hammond, thanks to Arnaldo DeSouteiro for pointing out that Washington borrows from Eleanor Rigby in the solo. | 0:00 |
| 2 | Django | Jim Hall | Track from the album “Jim Hall – Youkali | Releases, Reviews, Credits | Discogs” issued in 1992, late period CTI after Grover was already a star. Apart from the magical re-appearance of the, the deceased, Chet Baker on the track through overdubbing, Washington plays alongside Donald Harrison. | 7:11 |
| 3 | Señor Blues | Urbie Greeen | Title track from the album “Señor Blues | Discogs” recorded in 1977 at the Electric Lady studios in NYC, Grover plays a great solo. Recorded right around the time Grover parted company with CTI and went on to record with Motown. A Dave Matthews production. | 17:08 |
| 4 | Ganawa (Blue Moses) | Randy Weston | Title track from Weston’s 1972 album “Randy Weston – Blue Moses | Releases | Discogs“. Contains multiple great solos, including from Grover, also Freddie Hubbard. It’s a great funky tune and album that was finally release on CD in 2010 as part of the CTI Masterworks series. | 24:40 |
| 5 | Summer Song | Locksmith | Written by John Blake and Tyrone Brown, members of Locksmith, who were in essence, Washington’s backing band at this point and during his early Motown recordings. It is a 2:59 mono edit taken from the radio/promo single from the 7:40 track on the Washington “Live at Bijou” album. Sonically isn’t great, but a is good, radio friendly edit that could have been a chart success but fell between the cracks. Locksmith went on to record a 1980 album with Harvey Mason for Arista. An even shorter 2:05 version of “Summer Song” was released as a 45/single a month or so later with Grover listed as the main artist. | 37:03 |
| 6 | Semi-Tough | Don Sebesky | Possibly the funkiest track from the ensemble cast and orchestra driven “Don Sebesky – Giant Box | Releases | Discogs” double album. Washington, George Benson and Bob James all feature, and was a harbinger for the coming Dave Matthews more funky sound. | 39:54 |
| 7 | Nightshade | Thus Spoke Z (Remix) | Perhaps one the least known release on KUDU, and the last release of original material released 3-years after the effective wind down of the label. “Thus Spoke Z – Evolution – Acid Jazz | Releases | Discogs” Washington plays sideman on a very time appropriate, acid-jazz, hip-hop era piece of jazz. | 47:25 |