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First Class! collects two solid Eric Kloss albums from 1966 and 1967, the first titled Grits and Gravy, the latter First Class Kloss! Over the course of 16 pieces, however, saxophonist Kloss fronts three different groups: a quartet, quintet, and septet. While this never seems disjointed, it does occasionally feel like a best-of package, especially when the female vocal group joins in on pieces like "Slow Hot Wind." This is especially true on the first eight pieces from Grits and Gravy. Bizarre hodgepodges like the title track with its combination of background vocals, a large ensemble, and repetitive funky riffs remind one of a bad '60s movie soundtrack. These tracks are juxtaposed with incredibly edgy work by Kloss, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Alan Dawson. The intensity of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" still sounds fresh 20 years after the fact, and the chemistry among the players is explosive. Luckily, the two bonus tracks, "When I Fall" and "Psychedelicatessen Rag," come from these sessions. Kloss is joined by trumpeter Jimmy Owens, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Dawson for the last half-dozen tracks, and the work here is uniformly excellent. "The Chasin' Game" and "African Cookbook" take advantage of the duel-horn lineup, and the quintet stretches both of these pieces out for seven minutes. While the overall effect of First Class! is a bit scattered, there's a great deal of excellent music on the disc that's sure to please the Kloss fan.
© Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. /TiVo
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Ronald Williams, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Billy Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Danny Bank, Woodwinds, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Sigman, ComposerLyricist - Antonio Maria, ComposerLyricist - Luiz Bonfa, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Charles, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Gregg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ed Bland, Co-Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Ronnie Boykins, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - DENNY ZEITLIN, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Ronald Williams, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Norman Gimbel, ComposerLyricist - Henry Mancini, ComposerLyricist - Billy Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Danny Bank, Woodwinds, AssociatedPerformer - ALEC WILDER, ComposerLyricist - William Engvick, ComposerLyricist - Teddy Charles, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Gregg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ed Bland, Co-Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Ronnie Boykins, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Ronald Williams, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Billy Butler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Danny Bank, Woodwinds, AssociatedPerformer - Teddy Charles, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Gregg, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ed Bland, Co-Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ronnie Boykins, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Sigmund Romberg, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gene DePaul, Composer - Don Raye, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Miles Davis, Composer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Victor Young, Composer - Edward Heyman, Author - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Prestige Records
Richard Davis, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jaki Byard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Lampley, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2004 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Ben Tucker, ComposerLyricist - Bob Dorough, ComposerLyricist - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kenny Burrell, ComposerLyricist - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Tenor Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Carpenter, Composer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Tenor Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Jimmy Owens, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Randy Weston, Composer - CEDAR WALTON, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leroy Vinnegar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Dawson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Schlitten, Producer, Recording Producer - Eric Kloss, Tenor Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Prestige Records
Album review
First Class! collects two solid Eric Kloss albums from 1966 and 1967, the first titled Grits and Gravy, the latter First Class Kloss! Over the course of 16 pieces, however, saxophonist Kloss fronts three different groups: a quartet, quintet, and septet. While this never seems disjointed, it does occasionally feel like a best-of package, especially when the female vocal group joins in on pieces like "Slow Hot Wind." This is especially true on the first eight pieces from Grits and Gravy. Bizarre hodgepodges like the title track with its combination of background vocals, a large ensemble, and repetitive funky riffs remind one of a bad '60s movie soundtrack. These tracks are juxtaposed with incredibly edgy work by Kloss, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Alan Dawson. The intensity of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" still sounds fresh 20 years after the fact, and the chemistry among the players is explosive. Luckily, the two bonus tracks, "When I Fall" and "Psychedelicatessen Rag," come from these sessions. Kloss is joined by trumpeter Jimmy Owens, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Dawson for the last half-dozen tracks, and the work here is uniformly excellent. "The Chasin' Game" and "African Cookbook" take advantage of the duel-horn lineup, and the quintet stretches both of these pieces out for seven minutes. While the overall effect of First Class! is a bit scattered, there's a great deal of excellent music on the disc that's sure to please the Kloss fan.
© Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:43
- Main artists: Eric Kloss
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Prestige
- Genre: Jazz
© 2004 Prestige Records ℗ 2004 Prestige Records
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