A Secret Place: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Line 1:

{{for|the Megadeth song|A Secret Place (Megadeth song)}}

{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->

{{Infobox album|

| Name = A Secret Place

| Type name = StudioA Secret Place

| Artisttype = [[Grover Washington, Jr.]]Studio

| Coverartist = [[Grover =Washington ASecretPlaceJr.JPG]]

| Releasedcover = January 1,= 1976ASecretPlace.JPG

| Recordedalt = December 1975 – January 1976=

| released = December 15, 1976<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dougpayne.com/ctid7576.htm#asecretplace | title=Cti Discography: 1975-1976 }}</ref>

| Genre = [[Jazz fusion]], [[Smooth jazz]]

| Lengthrecorded = October = 33:431976

| Labelstudio =[[Van Gelder =Studio]], [[KuduEnglewood Records|CTICliffs]]

| Producergenre = [[CreedJazz fusion]], [[smooth Taylorjazz]]

| length = 33:47

| Reviews = * [[Allmusic]] {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jvfuxqegldfe~T1]

| label = [[Kudu Records|Kudu]]

| Last album = ''[[Feels So Good (1975 album)|Feels So Good]]''<br />(1975)▼

| producer = [[Creed Taylor]]

| This album = '''''A Secret Place'''''<br />(1976)

▲| Last album prev_title = ''[[Feels So Good (1975Grover Washington Jr. album)|Feels So Good]]''<br />(1975)

| Next album = ''[[Live at the Bijou]]''<br />(1978)▼

| prev_year = 1975

▲| Next album next_title = ''[[Live at theThe Bijou]]''<br />(1978)

| next_year = 1978

}}

{{Album ratings

'''''A Secret Place''''' is a 1976 album by jazz saxophonist [[Grover Washington, Jr.]]

| rev1 =[[Allmusic]]

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AM">{{AllMusic |class=album |id=r164875 |tab=review |label=Grover Washington Jr.: ''A Secret Place'' > Review |first=Thom|last=Jurek |accessdate=19 September 2011}}</ref>

| rev2 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide]]''

| rev2score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Swenson |first1=John |title=The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Random House |isbn=9780679768739 |url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonejazz00swens |url-access=registration |quote=Grover Washington Jr. |accessdate=23 September 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

}}

'''''A Secret Place''''' is the sixth album by jazz saxophonist [[Grover Washington Jr.]] and his last studio album for Kudu Records. The album topped the ''Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart and reached number seven on the Soul Albums chart in 1977.

==Background==

"Tenor and soprano saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. was faced with an almost impossible task in 1976: following up his two 1975 critically acclaimed and wildly successful commercial recordings ''[[Mister Magic]]'' and ''[[Feels So Good (Grover Washington Jr. album)|Feels So Good]]''. Both recordings crossed over to R&B on the radio and on the charts. ''A Secret Place'' was produced by [[Creed Taylor]] and issued on his [[Kudu]] imprint, while the versatile David Matthews arranged the horn section. The players include pianist [[Dave Grusin]], drummer [[Harvey Mason]], [[Ralph MacDonald]] on percussion, bassist [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]], guitarist [[Eric Gale]], trumpeter [[John Gatchell]], and alto saxophonist [[Gerry Niewood]]. Guests include bassist [[George Mraz]] and guitarist [[Steve Khan]], who appear only on a reading of [[Herbie Hancock]]'s "[[Dolphin Dance]]."

This lineup may not be surprising, but the scope of the recording is. Washington could have gone the easy route and followed up his [[R&B]] chart success with a series of uptempo, rousing tracks that leaned heavier on [[funk]] --– in the style of the title tracks of both the previous albums. But he went in a different direction, at least partially. There are four cuts here, each between eight and nine minutes. The first two (which comprise side one of the LP), the title track, and Hancock's tune, are a bit more laid-back and mysterious. Washington takes his time letting them unfold, utilizing dynamics. "A Secret Place" does have a slippery funky backbeat, and a killer guitar line by Gale (did he ever play anything else in the '70s?), but the groove is nocturnal, spacy, and soulful. His soprano sings over the backbeat as Grusin's [[Rhodes piano]] plays down a vamp for the rhythm section, and fills in the painted backdrop beautifully. The tempo picks up with Jackson's bassline becoming more prominent in the mix, but it never overpowers the easy groove established at the beginning. "Dolphin Dance" begins every bit as sparely and exotically spacious as Hancock's own version, with beautiful soprano and alto work, gorgeous floating [[Rhodes piano]], and lots of warmth. When it begins to swing near the middle, it does so in such a relaxed and languid manner that the shift from soul-jazz on the preceding tune to the straight up fingerpopping nightclub swing on this one is seamless. As usual, Washington's own soloing and melodic improvising are stellar. "Not Yet" opens the second half of the set. It's a funky groove, but the easy, laid-back feel and chord changes in this Washington original make it irresistibly sexy. Once more, Gale's guitar pleases as it leads the horn section vamps that fill his sophisticated, soulful, bluesed-out solo. The lilt in Grusin's Rhodes piano is the perfect tastemaker, since Washington's tenor is so throaty and on the low-end growl. Harvey Mason's straight up funky soul number "Love Makes It Better," takes the set out on a high note, with gorgeous guitar vamps by Gale, the three-horn line playing a sparse but pronounced melody line, and Grusin filling the middle with enough sweetness and light to offer the drums and percussion room to really pop. Washington's tenor solo is sophisticated and utterly tasteful; its emotion ratchets up the dynamic in the entire tune. The bottom line on ''A Secret Place'' is that while the set did well commercially, it got nowhere near the critical praise of its predecessors. That's a shame, because it is a truly fine album whose grooves and pleasures stand the test of time easily. It's ripe for reappraisal."

<ref>{{cite web

| last = Jurek

| first = Thom

| authorlinkauthor-link =

| coauthors =

| title = A Secret Place

| work =

| publisher = [[Allmusic]]

| date =

| url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r164875/review|pure_url=yes}}

| url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jvfuxqegldfe~T1

| format =

| doi =

| accessdate = JuneSeptember 20099, 2016 }}</ref>

==Reception==

Thom Jurek of [[AllMusic]] commented "Washington's tenor solo is sophisticated and utterly tasteful; its emotion ratchets up the dynamic in the entire tune. The bottom line on A Secret Place is that while the set did well commercially, it got nowhere near the critical praise of its predecessors. That's a shame, because it is a truly fine album whose grooves and pleasures stand the test of time easily. It's ripe for reappraisal".<ref name="AM" /> A reviewer of [[Dusty Groove]] noted 'Nothing too secret about this record – given that it was one of Grover Washington's biggest hits of the 70s, and for good reason too! The album features four long tracks – all stretched out and layered together with washes of funky, yet subtle sounds – in a perfect blend that let Washington really stretch out on his solos, blowing with a great deal of soul over some hip instrumentation that includes Dave Grusin on electric piano, Anthony Jackson on bass, Harvey Mason on drums, and Ralph McDonald on percussion. There's a lean quality to the record that's completely sublime (why can't they make sets like this anymore?) – and although smooth, things are never slick – wonderfully soulful throughout, in that magic mode that Grover hit on a handful of key 70s albums!"<ref>{{cite web |title=Grover Washington Jr.: Secret Place |url=https://www.dustygroove.com/item/907274?kwfilter=Grover+Washington+Jr&incl_oos=1&incl_cs=1&sort_order=artist |publisher=[[Dusty Groove]] |accessdate=16 January 2019}}</ref>

==Track listing==

# "A Secret Place" ([[Grover Washington, Jr.]]) &mdash;– 8:1314

# "Dolphin Dance" ([[Herbie Hancock]]) &mdash;– 8:4850

# "Not Yet" (Grover Washington, Jr.) &mdash;– 8:3536

# "Love Makes It Better" ([[Harvey Mason]]) &mdash;– 8:07

== Personnel ==

* [[Grover Washington, Jr.]] &mdash;– [[soprano saxophone]], [[tenor saxophone]]

* [[Dave Grusin]] &mdash;– acoustic piano, [[pianoFender Rhodes]]

* [[SteveEric KhanGale]] &mdash;– [[guitar]] (track1, 3, 24)▼

* [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]] &mdash; [[bass guitar|bass]]▼

* [[GeorgeSteve MrazKhan]] &mdash; [[bass– guitar|bass]] (track 2)

▲* [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]] &mdash;– [[bass guitar|bass]](1, 3, 4)

* [[Harvey Mason]] &mdash; [[drum kit|drums]]

* [[George Mraz]] – bass (2)

* [[Ralph MacDonald]] &mdash; [[percussion instrument|percussion]]▼

* [[EricHarvey GaleMason]] &mdash;– [[guitar]] drums

▲* [[Ralph MacDonald]] &mdash;– [[percussion instrument|percussion]]

▲* [[Steve Khan]] &mdash; [[guitar]] (track 2)

* [[JohnGerry GatchellNiewood]] &mdash;– [[trumpetalto saxophone]]

* [[GerryJohn NiewoodGatchell]] &mdash;– [[alto saxophonetrumpet]]

* [[David Matthews (keyboardist)|David Matthews]] – horn arrangements

== Production ==

* Creed Taylor – producer

* [[Rudy Van Gelder]] – engineer

* Rene Schumacher – album design

* Richard Alcorn – photography

==Charts==

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Chart (1977)

! Peak<br>position

|-

| [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Pop Albums]]<ref name="allmusic albums">{{Cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p136173/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}}|title=Grover Washington Jr. US albums chart history|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2011-08-26}}</ref>

| align=center|31

|-

| ''Billboard'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|Top Soul Albums]]<ref name="allmusic albums" />

| align=center|7

|-

| ''Billboard'' Top Jazz Albums<ref name="allmusic albums" />

| align=center|1

|-

|}

==References==

Line 57 ⟶ 93:

==External links==

* [http://www.discogs.com/Grover-Washington-Jr-A-Secret-Place/master/58771 Grover Washington Jr.-A Secret Place at Discogs]

*http://sudo.3.pro.tok2.com/Quest/cards/G/GroverWashingtonJr/ASecretPlace_x.html

{{Grover Washington Jr.}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secret Place, A}}

[[Category:1976 albums]]

[[Category:Grover Washington, Jr. albums]]

[[Category:CTIKudu Records albums]]

[[Category:Albums produced by Creed Taylor]]

[[Category:Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio]]

{{1970s-jazz-album-stub}}