The Players Association - Turn The Music Up! (1979) - €10,00

The Players Association, led by drummer/arranger Chris Hills, the Players Association was an obscure late-'70s, early-'80s outfit that specialized in a jazz-influenced style of disco-funk. Major jazz musicians like Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Joe Farrell, and Tom Harrell appeared on its albums, but the New York band never catered to jazz's hardcore; its main focus was disco-funk with jazz overtones, although the Association occasionally detoured into instrumental jazz-pop and quiet storm/NAC music. 

The Association never became well known, and its recordings received very little radio airplay; however, it did enjoy a small underground following among danceclub DJs. The Players Association signed with Vanguard in 1977, and the band recorded five albums before calling it quits in 1981:

The Players Association recordings brought in leading jazz session musicians such as Joe Farrell, David Sanborn, James Mtume, Mike Mandel and Lorraine Moore on vocals as well as others. Whilst writing some of their own songs, the group mainly focused on covers.

After providing two competent but unremarkable albums -- the first in 1977, the second in 1978 -- the Players Association lived up to its potential on its third album, Turn the Music Up! 

The band's smooth jazz version of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's "The Closer I Get to You" isn't earth-shattering, but the Association really soars on an instrumental interpretation of Chic's "Everybody Dance" and infectious originals like "Ride the Groove" and the title song. 

Many of the artists who are employed on this 1979 LP are accomplished jazz improvisers, including trumpeter Tom Harrell (who takes his share of solos), tenor saxman Bob Berg, keyboardist Pat Rebillot, and trumpeter Marvin Stamm. 

But Turn the Music Up! shouldn't be judged by jazz standards because it isn't a jazz record per se; most of the material is simply disco-funk with jazz overtones. And from a disco-funk standpoint, Turn the Music Up! is exciting more often than not. 

Side one

1.  Turn The Music Up! - 6:47  

2.  The Closer I Get To You - 4:41  

3.  Everybody Dance - 6:48  

Side two

1.  I Wish - 5:43  

2.  More Than A Little Bit - 6:27  

3.  Ride The Groove - 6:44  

Companies, etc.

• Distributed By – Pye Records Ltd.
• Manufactured By – Pye Records Ltd.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Vanguard Recording Society, Inc.
• Copyright © – Vanguard Recording Society, Inc.
• Pressed By – Tranco Limited
• Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.
• Published By – Copyright Control
• Published By – Famous-Chappell & Co
• Published By – Warner Bros. Music
• Published By – Jobete Music (UK) Ltd.
• Recorded At – Vanguard Studios
• Lacquer Cut at – Pye Studios

Credits

• Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax], Soloist [All Solos] – Bob Mover
• Arranged By [Horns] – Chris Hills, Gary Anderson
• Bass – Herb Bushler
• Congas, Percussion – David Earle Johnson
• Design – Jules Halfant
• Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Chris Hills
• Engineer [Recording] – Jeff Zaraya, Mark Berry
• Guitar – Karl Ratzer
• Keyboards – Pat Rebillot
• Lacquer Cut By – MB
• Mixed By – Mark Berry
• Photography By – Frank Kolleogy
• Producer, Sleeve Notes – Danny Weiss
• Reeds – Gary Anderson
• Synthesizer [Synthesized Strings] – Chris Hills
• Synthesizer, Soloist [Synthesizer Solos] – Mike Mandel
• Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soloist [All Solos] – Bob Berg
• Timbales, Percussion – Ray Mantilla
• Trombone – Ed Byrne
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm, Victor Paz
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Soloist [All Solos] – Tom Harrell

Notes

Release:  1979

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soul / Disco

Label:  Vanguard Records

Catalog#  VSD 79421

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

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