AOTW: Neil Larsen - High Gear (SP-738)

[Captain Bacardi]

Neil Larsen
HIGH GEAR
A&M/Horizon SP-738

Released 1979

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/8-Track/CD

Produced by Tommy LiPuma

Songs:

• 1. High Gear - 4:55
  2. Demonette - 4:59
  3. Futurama - 5:03
  4. This Time Tomorrow - 4:35
  5. Nile Crescent - 6:10
  6. Rio Este - 3:50
  7. Night Letter - 4:27
  
  All selections composed by Neil Larsen and published by Neil Larsen Publishing - ASCAP

Musicians:
Neil Larsen - Keyboards
Buzz Feiten - Guitar
Steve Gadd - Drums
Abraham Laboriel - Bass
Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
Michael Brecker - Tenor Sax
Joe Farrell - Flute on "Nile Crescent"
Background Vocals on "Futurama" - Neil Larsen, Rickie Lee Jones, Lenny Castro
Nick DeCaro - Arp Arrangements

Recorded at Sound Labs and Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood
Recorded by Al Schmitt and Norm Kinney
Assistant Engineers: Linda Tyler and Don Henderson
Mixed by Al Schmitt at Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood
Mastered by Mike Reese at the Mastering Lab, Hollywood
Production Assistant: Noel Newbolt

Art Direction: Roland Young
Album Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Elizabeth Lennard


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

"From the "Tropical Beat" of Jungle Fever, to the "Cruisin' Music" of High Gear...!

The background vocals on "Futurama" by Neil Larsen, along with Lenny Castro, and Rikki Lee Jones (whom Larsen worked with) are First-Rate! Nick De Caro dabbles in a few good ARP Synths, where normally, he probably would have inserted real strings... The percussion played here is Paulinho da Costa's "personal best", while collectors of Steve Gadd's drumming and where Michael Brecker played sax, can definitely map themselves out to Larsen's first album and to this one, right here!

Neil teamed up with his guitarist (and studio-musician), Buzzy Feiten and a few more members of this aggregation and formed the Larsen-Feiten Band, though both of their efforts pale considerably to both of Larsen's own experimental Pop-Jazz journeys to the "Modern New-Age Neverworld"...


Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This is one of my all-time favorite contemporary jazz albums. The songs are good, the playing is excellent. This album is worth it just for "Demonette", with Michael Brecker's searing tenor solo along with Steve Gadd pushing the rhythm section. Buzz Feiten's guitar work is great, especially on "Futurama" and the opening of "This Time Tomorrow". I must've gone through two different vinyl copies of this before I snared the CD version from Japan. Top notch!


Capt. Bacardi