AOTW: Jimmy Owens - Jimmy Owens (SP-712)

[Captain Bacardi]

Jimmy Owens
JIMMY OWENS
A&M/Horizon SP712

Released 1976

Format: Vinyl

Produced by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson

Musicians:
Jimmy Owens - Trumpet
Chris White - Bass
Kenny Barron - Piano
Brian Brake - Drums
Warren Smith - Percussion
George Davis - Guitar
Lloyd Davis - Guitar
Carl Lynch - Guitar (3)

Songs:

• 1. Caravan (Duke Ellington) 10:02
  2. What's The Use (Jimmy Owens) 10:02
  3. Do It To It (Jimmy Owens) 6:21
  4. Secret Love (Sammy Fain - Paul Francis Webster) 8:20
  5. My Life (Chris White) 6:10

Recorded May 4, 5, 6, 1976 at Audio 1 Recording Studios, 2 West 46th Street, New York City

Mixed May 24, 25, 26, 1976 at Audio 1.
Engineers: Ed Rice and Gary Roth

Creative Director: John Snyder

Art Direction: Roland Young
Album Design: Chuck Beeson/Ken Anderson
Photography: Front and Back Cover, Black & White: Bill King
Inside Color: Brent Owens
Jimmy and Son, Ayan: Gosta Peterson

Liner notes by Leonard Goines, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, Brian Brake and Chris White.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This album reminds me a lot of the commercial efforts that Freddie Hubbard was trying to do in the 70's, although Jimmy Owens is certainly no Freddie Hubbard. I remembered liking this album a lot when it first came out, but after listening to it again for the first time in a couple of years it sounds dated and rather redundant. Most of the tunes are set to funky grooves that at times gets a little too close to disco. It's an interesting idea to set "Caravan" to this rhythm, but after a couple of songs it gets old really quick. Owens sets the Fain-Webster classic "Secret Love" to a quick little samba that works fairly well. And Owens finally changes everything up with the nice ballad "My Life". But by this time it's too late to change my mind about this album. I give it 2 and 1/2 stars.


Capt. Bacardi