Harold Vick – After the Dance

Japanese import

Harold Vick recorded in the 60s and the 70s (for example for Blue Note, Muse and Strata East). He played tenor and soprano saxophones. After The Dance, being a polished Jazz/Soul production, may not capture the typical sound of his, and the choice of material suggests the influence of the record label basically interested in selling products.

On this set, Harold Vick covers a couple of tunes, like I Go To Rio and the Ross/Gaye song You Are Everything and others, and they aren't really anything to write home about, although the title song, another Marvin Gaye track, comes off really nice.

Harold Vick is strangely unknown. A pity, for his playing - especially of the soprano sax - is way above average. Vick is backed by a great studio band consisting of Richard Tee and Arthur Jenkins, keyboards, Eric Gale, Guitar, Steve Gadd, drums, Anthony Jackson and Will Lee, bass and Ralph MacDonald and Dom Um Romao, percussion. Add Horn and string sections and background vocals (Patti Austin, Ullanda McCullogh, Frank Floyd...), so you have a typical 70s East Coast crossover production.

Check out Ghetto Fantasy and A Touch Of Your Love; the highlight, however, is Blue In The Face: if all Quiet Storm tunes were like this! As far as the mood is concerned, the song is a Blues, but it meanders wonderfully through the chord changes and the arrangement is mellow and melancholy. Harold Vick's soprano sax playing is superb, and it demonstrates what a great musician he was.