Grover Washington Jr. - Come Morning (1981 Japanese Elektra LP)

Recorded between June and September 1981, Come Morning was Washington's self-produced follow-up to Winelight, with the same band largely intact. Marcus Miller plays bass, Steve Gadd drums, Richard Tee Rhodes piano, Eric Gale guitar, and Ralph MacDonald congas and percussion, with Paul Griffin on synthesiser and a backing vocal section appearing on several tracks. Washington produced and mixed the record himself, and plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone across the eight tracks. The title track and "East River Drive" demonstrate his melodic directness, while "Little Black Samba" and "Jamming" push toward a groovier, more rhythmically driven feel. Released in Japan in 1981 on Elektra (P-11082E) and manufactured by Warner-Pioneer Corporation, the WEA joint venture responsible for Elektra releases in Japan throughout this period.

The session's rhythm section is its foundation. Gadd's drumming is precise and responsive without overplaying, Tee's Rhodes comping creates harmonic warmth beneath Washington's lines, and Miller's bass, still early in his career before his pivotal work with Miles Davis later in the decade, provides melodic bottom throughout. Gale's guitar fills the spaces between without cluttering arrangements Washington kept deliberately open. Background vocalists including Ullanda McCullough and Frank Floyd add texture on "Be Mine (Tonight)", "Jamming" and "Little Black Samba". Warner-Pioneer pressings from the early 1980s are consistently valued by collectors for their low noise floors and quality control, making this a clean way to own a record that belongs in any serious contemporary jazz collection.