Webster Lewis - 1976 - On The Town

Webster Lewis And The Post-Pop Space-Rock Be-Bop Gospel Tabernacle Orchestra And Chorus 1976

On The Town

01. On The Town 5:58

02. Saturday Night Steppin' Out 4:38

03. Since I've Been Gone 5:41

04. Love Is The Way 4:55

05. Do It With Style 4:56

06. Song Of Joy 6:48

07. Goodnight Baby Girl 2:07

Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson

Bass Trombone – Dave Taylor

Bass [Fender] – Anthony Jackson, Bob Babbitt, Herb Bushler

Cello – Charles McCracken, Jon Abramowitz, Seymour Barab

Congas – Juma Santos

Double Bass [String Bass] – John Beal

Drums – Grady Tate, Victor Lewis

French Horn – Brooks Tillotson

Guitar – Carl Lynch, Cliff Morris, Cornell Dupree, Freddie Harris, Joe Beck, Keith Loving, Lance Quinn, Richie Resnicoff

Keyboards – Webster Lewis

Percussion – Alyrio Lima, Richie Crooks

Steel Drums – Freddie Harris

Synthesizer [Moog & Arp] – David Horowitz

Tenor Saxophone – Harold Vick

Trombone – Bill Watrous, Jackie Jeffers, Tom Malone

Trumpet – Allan Rubin, Lou Soloff, Randy Brecker, Virgil Jones

Viola – Emanuel Vardi, Rose Tillotson, Selwart Clarke

Violin – David Nadien, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Matthew Raimondi, Max Ellen, Max Hollandef, Max Pollikoff, Michael Comins, Noel DaCosta, Peter Dimitriades, Sanford Allen

The first album released on this artist's Epic contract continued the stylistic narrative begun on a live album earlier in the decade, only on a much larger scale. Webster Lewis -- a keyboardist, clarinetist, composer, conductor and arranger from Baltimore -- had gotten in the ears of some soul and jazz fans by using an Isley Brothers tune, "It's Your Thing," to set off his own improvisations. Miles Davis was even said to have been a fan of Lewis, whose name sometimes comes up in connection with the mysterious personnel assembled On the Corner.

On the Town is incredibly typical of projects from this era, attempting to combine jazz and soul sensibilities, originally seeming to please nobody at all but over time apparently mellowing into a broth quite pleasing to listeners fond of newly simmered genres such as rare groove or golden soul. No expense was spared, no stone unturned, when it came to gathering studio session talent for this event. At least eight of the instrumentalists taking part either were, or became, solo artists in their own right. A total of approximately 50 players were contracted by the time

Lewis had completed the seven featured tracks. This artist's reputation and accomplishments are not worth arguing about, a point worth making since the predicitable outcome of these '70s blockbuster productions inevitably seems to be to almost yet not quite totally hide the star's talents. A certain number of elements considered necessary for popularity are always a big part of the action, among them cheesy background vocals, string sections with the creative implications of an armed guard, and of course all the latest keyboard technology. Unlike the yo-yo or the super-ball, the latter items have only gotten more popular by becoming out-dated. Lewis teamed up with fellow keyboard noodler David Horowitz for "Saturday Night Steppin' Out." The track wears its funk credentials like Wyatt Earp's badge, Cornell Dupree wrapping his curly cable around Carl Lynch's neck while maestro Lewis looks down the throat of a tiger that seems to be nibbling on a Casio -- obviously not true since that keyboard hadn't been invented yet.

Horowitz, showing the brazen audacity to overdub an accordion on one track, composed the grimacing "Song of Joy" all on his own, perhaps influenced by the session contractar's commission check. Lewis' pretty "Goodnight, Baby Girl" is a wise choice for the closer, its honest warmth and sentimentality busting through the overgrown trappings like a pinata.

Classic club from Webster Lewis – and much more of an all-out disco affair than some of his later work! The record introduces Lewis' all-encompassing style – as he writes, arranges, and produces the album at a level that easily matches that of Barry White – who would later emerge as a mentor for Lewis, introducing him as part of the later Love Unlimited Orchestra records. The group here is billed as "Webster Lewis & The Post-Pop Space-Rock Be-Bop Gospel Tabernacle Orchestra & Chorus" – a pretty good way to describe the soaringly full sound of the album – one that's built up from Webster's keyboards with lots of added strings and rhythms, plus occasional backing vocals from a female chorus. Most of the focus here is instrumental, though