🎵 AotW AOTW: David Spinozza - SPINOZZA* (SP-4677)

[Captain Bacardi]

David Spinozza
SPINOZZA*
A&M SP-4677

Released 1978
Peaked at #16 on the Jazz Album chart (1978)

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette

Produced by Mike Mainieri and David Spinozza for Airborne Productions

Songs & Musicians:

• 1. Superstar (Leon Russell/Bonnie Bramlett) - 5:44
  • Arranged by David Spinozza and Mike Mainieri
    David Spinozza - Lead Guitar
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Rick Marotta - Drums
    Mike Mainieri - Polymoog Synthesizer
    Leon Pendarvis - Acoustic Piano
    Background Vocals: Luther Vandross, David Lasley & Diva Gray
  2. On My Way To The Liquor Store (Leon Pendarvis) - 6:52
  • Arranged by Leon Pendarvis
    David Spinozza - Electric Guitar
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Steve Jordan - Drums
    Mike Mainieri - Synthesizer
    Rob Mounsey - Electric Piano
    Leon Pendarvis - Acoustic Piano
  3. Prelude To "The Ballerina" (David Spinozza) - 3:14
  • Orchestrated and Conducted by David Spinozza
    Concert Master: David Nadien
    Violins: Sanford Allen, Guy Lumia, Gerald Tarack, Harold Kohon, Paul Gersham, Anahid Ajemian, John Pintavalle, Peter Dimitriades, Ora Shiran, Richard Hendrickson, Mathew Raimondi, Harry Lookofsky, Richard Sortomme, Lewis Eley, Tony Posk, Lucy Chapman Staltzman
    Violas: Barry Finclair, La Mar Alsap, Sue Pray, Emanuel Vardi, Selwart R. Clarke, Theodore Israel
    Cellos: Charles McCracken, Beverly Lauridson, Jesse Levy
    Bass: Michael Moore, Eddie Gomez
    Harp: Margaret Ross
    Trumpets: Alan Rubin, Randy Brecker*, Jon Faddis
    Trombones: Wayne Andre, Barry Rogers, David Taylor
    Tuba: Tony Price
    French Horns: John Trevor Clark, Sharon Moe*
    English Horns & Flute: George Marge*
    Flutes: George Young, David Tofani
    Background Vocals: Kim Carlson, Gordon Grody
    *Solos
  4. The Ballerina (David Spinozza) - 5:35
  • Arranged by David Spinozza
    David Spinozza - Vocal, Acoustic Guitar
    Warren Bernhardt - Acoustic Piano
    Anthiny Jackson - Bass
    Rick Marotta - Drums
    Gary Mure - Percussion
    David Carey - Percussion
  5. Edge Of The Sword (David Spinozza/Mike Mainieri) - 4:59
  • Arranged by Mike Mainieri
    David Spinozza - Lead Guitar
    Warren Bernhardt - Clavinet, Fender Rhodes & Synthesizer
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Steve Jordan - Drums
    Rubens Bassini - Percussion
  6. Country Bumpkin (David Spinozza/Mike Mainieri) - 4:04
  • Arranged by Mike Mainieri
    David Spinozza - Lead Guitar
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Don Grolnick - Acoustic Piano
    Leon Pendarvis - Electric Piano
    Rick Marotta - Drums
    Mike Mainieri - Percussion & Synthesizer
    Eric Weisberg - Banjo and Pedal Steel Guitar
  7. Doesn't She Know By Now (David Spinozza) - 4:43
  • Arranged by David Spinozza
    David Spinozza - Acoustic Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Rick Marotta - Drums
    Leon Pendarvis - Piano
    Michael Brecker - Tenor Sax solo
    Background Vocals: Luther Vandross, David Lasley & Diva Gray
  8. Airborne (David Spinozza) - 5:33
  • Arranged by David Spinozza
    David Spinozza - Lead Guitar
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Mike Mainieri - Vibes
    Rick Marotta - Drums
    Rob Mounsey - Electric Piano
    Kim Carlson - Scat Vocal
    Trumpets: Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff
    Trombones: David Taylor, Wayne Andre, Barry Rogers
    Saxophones: David Sanborn, David Tofani, George Young, Ronald Cuber, Michael Brecker
  9. High Button Shoes (Rob Mounsey) - 3:21
  • Arranged by Rob Mounsey
    David Spinozza - Lead Guitar
    Warren Bernhardt - Acoustic Piano
    Anthony Jackson - Bass
    Steve Jordan - Drums
    Joe Caro - Rhythm Guitar
    Mike Mainieri - Xylophone
    Rob Mounsey - Electric Piano

Recorded and Mixed at the House Of Music, New Jersey
Recording and Mixing Engineer: Jeffrey Kawalek
Assistant Engineer: Peter Roulinavage
Synthesizer Programming by Larry Fast

Strings and Horns recorded at A&R Recording, New York
Recording Engineer: Leanne Unger
Assistant Engineer: Olie Cotton
Musical Contractor: Christine Martin

This album was mixed using the Aphex Aural Exciter

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Phil Shima and Vigon/Nahas/Vigon
Photography: Gary Heery (Front Cover) and Lynn Goldmsith (Back Cover and Sleeve)

*David Spinozza appears courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I remember seeing that credit about the Aphex Aural Exciter on various albums back then. What the heck was that?

 

[Rudy]

It is a device that adds phase shift and harmonics to the original signal. It was something a lot of the studios on the west coast used back in the mid 70s.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This album is a mixed bag, with the better tunes on the second side of the LP. My favorite track is "Airborne", which has a bit of a big band feel to it. Other noteworthy songs are "Country Bumpkin" and the funky "On My Way To The Liquor Store".



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

Pretty much an all-purpose album, definitively showing much what New York session guitarist David Spinozza can do...

He held some pretty good spots for A&M, backing Paul Williams on his first two albums, his non-LP '45' "Look What I've Found", & I believe that's him on the Guy Clark '45' "Beechwood Blues" (though I have have never heard the B-Side, "Two Lovers") and appearing on the last song on Steve Marriott's Marriott and playing on Roy Davies UFO, Tim Weisberg's Hurtwood Edge, the lost Gold singles, and David Batteau's Happy In Hollywood...

Among other west coast dates Spinozza had, were on The Pointer Sisters Priority album, which I'd probably forgot to mention earlier (it came between the hit "Fire" from 1978 and the two singles "Slow Hand" and "He's So Shy" from the early 1980's), Patti Dahlstrom & keyboardist Craig Doerge...

This pretty much centers around his mainly New York City playing & owes much to the contributing musicians (and vibist Mike Mainieri's production) but none-the-less David offers some pretty decent expression, to his credentials, on this solid set of good Jazz Rock...


Dave