God Bless the Child is one of our favorite orchestra-backed jazz records here at Better Records. A few others off the top of my head would be Wes Montgomery’s California Dreaming (1966, and also Sebesky-arranged), Grover Washington’s All the King’s Horses (1973) and Deodato’s Prelude (also 1973, with brilliant arrangements by the man himself).
On a killer copy the sound is out of this world. Rich and full, open and transparent, we love the sound of many of Rudy’s recordings from the 70s. This kind of warm, rich, Tubey Magical analog sound is gone forever. You have to go back to 1971 to find it!
Just don’t make the mistake of buying one with VAN GELDER in the dead wax and these stampers.
The sound will more than likely be bright on side one and opaque on side two, or some combination thereof.
The Music
The high point for side one is clearly the first track. It’s got a Midnight Blue relaxed groove going on, the kind that Kenny Burrell seems to be able to bring to any session he plays on. Or maybe it’s the rhythms Ray Barretto works out in the songs that make them so relaxed and swinging at the same time.
Side two is magical from start to finish. The two extended songs, both more than eight minutes in length, leave plenty of room for the band and the orchestra to stretch out.
Digging Creed Taylor Inc.
We’ve been really digging these Creed Taylor productions for years now. On the better albums such as this one, the players tend to sound carefree and loose — you can tell they’re enjoying the hell out of these songs.
Further Reading