Most people don't know that the song Spooky, made famous by the Classics IV, was actually originally recorded as an instrumental by saxophonist Mike Shapiro in the mid 60s.

It was later rerecorded by the Classics IV in 1967 after guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added the lyrics. Apparently, Mike Shapiro had the same publishing company as Cobb and Buie, who heard the tune, liked it, and put lyrics to it.

The classic element of this story is that Shapiro ended up playing the great sax solo on the Classics IV version. I've always loved the tone and style of that solo, kind of jazzy and slightly edgy.

Here's a version of the original recording of Spooky featuring Mike Shapiro (they called him Mike Sharp on the album) on the tenor saxophone:

This photo, from 1951, captures the essence of the ecstasy of a true saxual healing.

Check out those dudes in the front row. What a scream! I've got to try that - laying on my back and playing. 

That's one of my missions in life: the inspire that kind of feeling.

(Photo by Bob Willoughby)

"I started by definitely being a copycat. That's the way it was. I mean, I wanted to be the white Grover Washington Jr. and I think I became the white Grover Washington Jr."

You know who said that? You might be surprised. It was Kenny G!  To me, that's proof positive that Grover Washington Jr. was a true smooth jazz saxophone pioneer: The best selling smooth jazz saxophonist of all time (Kenny G) started off wanting to sound just like Grover!

I remember seeing Grover and his band at the Embassy Theater in Fort Wayne, IN back in the late 70's, me and 2,000 of my (mainly) black brothers and sisters. We were all on our feet the whole time. He grooved so hard, so deep. It was incredible! There's an excellent biography of Grover at musicianguide.com. Here's a couple of interesting excerpts, the first being about his big music business "break":

His first big musical break came quite by accident. Commercially-minded record producer Creed Taylor had put together a set of pop-funk tunes for alto saxophonist Hank Crawford. On the eve of the recording date, Crawford was arrested "on a two-year-old driving charge," Washington told Rolling Stone. Taylor then called in the little-known Washington as a last-minute replacement and had him play the alto parts. The album, Inner City Blues, was released in 1971 under Washington's name. It became a hit--an album, Palmer wrote in the New York Times, "that sold hundreds of thousands of copies and did much to break down barriers between jazz and pop." As Washington admitted to Wansley, "My big break was blind luck."

And this about his influence in the pre-smooth jazz music scene:

"Washington developed what is called a jazz-pop or jazz-rock fusion musical style. It consists of jazz improvisation over a pop or rock beat. Although he came from a jazz background, influenced by such artists as John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, and Oliver Nelson, Washington's wife got him interested in pop music. "I encouraged him to listen to more pop," Christine told Rolling Stone. "His intent was to play jazz, but he started listening to both, and at one point he told me he just wanted to play what he felt, without giving it a label." The popularity of Washington's brand of jazz-pop helped make jazz-pop music a success. Keyboardist Bob James told Wansley, "Grover was one of the main people to make this crossover movement happen. We had people intrigued by jazz, but a lot of it was so complex they didn't relate to it. Grover maintained a very high level of musicianship and yet his playing was very melodic and direct."

Smooth jazz pioneer, indeed. Grammy award winner, hit song writer, sax legend Grover Washington Jr. Truly a smooth jazz saxophone pioneer. Check this 1981 video of Grover and his band playing his hit, 'Mister Magic' live in Philadelphia.  Awesome!

Enjoy!

When I was just 18 years old, a friend put on John Klemmer's album, "Waterfalls", and it changed my life forever.

For here was a sound that I had never heard before, notes cascading by the thousands, a sound bathed in echo and reverb - passionate, sensuous, ethereal, haunting, and beautiful!  I was amazed - I had no idea you could make a saxophone sound like that - and like so many others, I was hooked on his sound.

That was back in 1973. Waterfalls, released in 1972, was John Klemmer's 6th album. While living in L.A. in the late 60's and early 70's at the height of the rock explosion, he did concerts with Janis Joplin etc. & local L.A. rock groups & musicians. He incorporated these new styles etc. in his recordings for Cadet Concept/Chess & Impulse! records, constantly breaking new ground, broadening & increasing his critical interest & acclaim & fan base.  

Klemmer, the self-styled "Ambassador Of Cool," was a smooth jazz saxophone pioneer, composing and performing music back in the 70's that was smooth, hip and easy - way, way before Kenny G broke the world of smooth jazz saxophone wide open.

Here's a YouTube clip of Klemmer back in the 70's when he was only 19! Amazing innovative stuff! And check the size of the gong that Alphonse Mouzon has - it's huge! Enjoy!