Ronnie Laws ‎– Fever

Born in Houston, Texas, sax player Ronnie Laws, the fourth son of the Laws family (his second-oldest brother being Hubert), celebrates his birthday today—he’s turned 60.

By the way, do Americans even have a custom of celebrating the 60th birthday like we do in Japan? Anyway, instead of a red chanchanko vest, let me introduce a record of his wrapped in white smoke against a red background. This album is his second release, “Fever”, dropped in 1976—the year after his famously popular “golden egg” jacket LP Pressure Sensitive. Like that one, it also came out on the classic BN-LA series from Blue Note (the “b-mark” era).

Production comes from Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders—aka At-Home Productions—whom I also mentioned in my write-up on Side Effect’s Goin’ Bananas. With At-Home Productions in this period, you might expect disco, but the album actually opens with a cover of Peggy Lee’s signature tune, the title track “Fever,” sampled in Homicide’s “Dog House.” Then there’s A4 “Stay Still (And Let Me Love You)”, where the title is just called repeatedly, but Ronnie’s heartbreak-tinged sax is absolutely gorgeous. It’s also the source for Ghemon feat. Al Castellana’s “Penso a Te” (’07) and DJ Ezasscul feat. Sónin & Abstrakt Idea’s “Ez Does It.” The album also shines with urban-mellow cuts like B4 “Night Breeze,” featuring cosmic synths and floating electric piano—sampled in Charles Hamilton’s “Near Death, He Joins Forces With” and Smoke DZA feat. Kendrick Lamar’s “Ball Game” (’11). But the highlight of the record may well be the trippy final track, “From Ronnie With Love,” which is practically trip-hop before its time.

Highly recommended from an AWC perspective!

テキサスはヒューストン出身でロウズ一家の四男坊(次男はヒューバート) のSAX奏者、ロニー・ロウズは本日が誕生日。還暦を迎えられました。ていうか、アメリカに還暦を祝う習慣ってあるのかな?はさておき、赤いチャンチャンコではなく赤いバックに白い煙を纏った彼のレコードをご紹介。本作は彼の諸作でも特にポピュラーなキンタマ(金の卵)ジャケットの「Pressure Sensitive」の翌年76年、同じくbマークのBLUE NOTEでお馴染のBN-LAシリーズからのリリースとなる2枚目のアルバム「フィーバー」
プロデュースはSide Effect「Goin' Bananas」の記事でもご紹介しました、At-Home Productions a.k.a. クルセイダーズのウェイン・ヘンダーソン。この時期のアットホーム・プロダクションズの仕事となればDISCOを連想しますが、ペギー・リーの代表作でHomicide「Dog House」でサンプリングされたタイトル曲をはじめ、タイトルをただただ繰り返しコールするだけながら、ロニーのサックスが切なくも素晴らしい、Ghemon feat. Al Castellana「Penso a Te」('07), DJ Ezasscul feat. Sónin' and Abstrakt Idea「Ez Does It」ネタのA4「Stay Still (And Let Me Love You)」、コズミックなシンセに浮遊感漂うエレピが心地良く、Charles Hamilton「Near Death, He Joins Forces With」, Smoke DZA feat. Kendrick Lamar「Ball Game」('11)で使われたB4「Night Breeze」等、アーバン・メロウな楽曲も秀逸ですが、本作のハイライトはもはやトリップ・ポップ状態のラスト「From Ronnie With Love」でしょうか。

AWC的にオススメでございます。

Ronnie Laws ‎– Fever　'76 Blue Note
A1. Let's Keep It Together
A2. Fever
A3. All The Time
A4. Stay Still (And Let Me Love You)
B1. Strugglin'
B2. Captain Midnite
B3. Karmen
B4. Night Breeze
B5. From Ronnie With Love

Credit;
Backing Vocals – Augie Johnson
Bass – Wilton Felder (A3, B1, B4)
Bass [Electric] – Nathaniel Phillips (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
Cello – Jesse Ehrliect, Nathan Gershman, Raymond J. Kelley
& Victor Sazer
Congas – Tony Ben (A3, B1, B4)
Drums – Bruce Carter (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
& Steve Guiterrez (A3, B1, B4)
Electric Piano, Clavinet, Synthesizer [Arp] – Donald Hepburn
(tracks: A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
& Michael Hepburn (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
Electric Piano,Clavinet,Synthesizer[String Ensemble]
– Bobby Lyle (A3, B1, B4)
Engineer – F. Byron Clark
Executive Producer – George Butler
Guitar – Marlon The Magician (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
Percussion – Bruce Smith (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B5)
Producer – Wayne Henderson
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano], Flute – Ronnie Laws
Violin – Bonnie Douglas, Carroll Stephens, Elliott Fisher,
Felix Sitjar, Gordon Marron, Henry Ferber, James Getzoff,
Joy Lyle, Murray Adler, Paul C. Shure, Ronald Folsom,
William Kurasch

- その他のロニー・ロウズ作品 -
・Ronnie Laws「Pressure Sensitive」('75 Blue Note)

・Ronnie Laws「Every Generation」('80 Blue Note)

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