Hubert Laws - 1980 - Family

Hubert Laws 

1980

Family

01. Ravel's Bolero 8:42
02. What A Night! 8:29
03. Wildfire 5:10
04. Family 7:32
05. Memories Of Minnie (Ripperton) 7:09
06. Say You're Mine 4:29

Acoustic Guitar – Earl Klugh
Bass – Nathan East
Clarinet, Soloist [Clarinet Solo] – Bill Draper
Drums – Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Piano] – Bobby Lyle
Flute [Flute, Bass Flute], Piccolo Flute [Piccolo] – Hubert Laws
Piano, Soloist [Acoustic Piano Solo] – Chick Corea
Snare [Classical Snare Drum] – Timm Boatman

Vibraphone [Vibes] – Woody "Onaje" Murray

Let's see, how do I put this? I heard Laws' Bolero on my local public radio jazz station and that was all I needed. Ravel's Bolero is probably one of the few pieces of music that sends me, even without the need for mind-altering substances. I have it on my iPod and just got through listening to it while I was on the stairmaster at the Y. I think my strides-per-minute hit an all-time high.

Unfortunately, the rest of the CD gets kind of mired in what I can only describe as Barry White-ish background music. If Hubert would just trade the electric bass for a stand-up; lose the strings, trade the drummer's sticks for some brushes and drop the echo chamber effect, his beautiful flute would just come right through.