Home

Biographical
Sketch

Discography

Photos

Quotes

Frequently-Asked
Questions

Other Resources

News

Gerald Wilson Orchestra: California Soul

LP: World Pacific WP ST-20135
CD: Included on The Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings of Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra (Mosaic MD5-198)

Tracks & Composers (Original LP)
1 Calfornia Soul (Ashford, Simpson)
2 Light My Fire (The Doors)
3 Channel Island (Wilson)
4 Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby (Komeda)
5 Sunshine of Your Love (Bruce, Brown, Clapton)
6 Russian River (Wilson)
7 Yesterlove (Robinson, Cleveland)
8 Down Here on the Ground (Schifrin, Garnett)
9 El Presidente (Wilson)

Hutcherson on all tracks except 2, 5, 6 & 8

Personnel
Larry McGuire, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Rusch, Ollie Mitchell, Dalton Smith (tp); Thurman Green, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong (tb); Mike Wimberly (bass tb); Dave Duke (F horn); Art Maebe (frh, tu); Ramon Borjorquez (as); Anthony Ortega (as, fl, picc); Hadley Caliman, Harold Land (ts); Richard Aplanalp (bari sax); Alan Beutler, Henry DeVega, William Green, Pete Terry (reeds); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Rowles (p, org, el-hpsc); Mike Anthony (g); Stan Gilbert (b); Wilton Felder (el-b); Carl Lott (d); Hugh Anderson, Joe Porcaro (per); Gerald Wilson (arr)

Recording Date & Location
7, 16 Aug 1968; 2 Sept 1968, Los Angeles, CA

Commentary
Wilson released this album on World Pacific, rather than Pacific Jazz. I’m not sure whether that was meant to imply that the album would have less jazz content than his previous albums. Regardless, that is certainly the case with this LP.

If you can get beyond some of the cheesier, time-bound elements of the title song, "California Soul" does sound good. Just check out the arrangement, which is very catchy. Hutch takes the first solo and it sounds great. So does the tenorist that follows him. The same comments about time-bound quality apply to "Channel Island." Again, the arrangement is at the center of the song, rather than any soloist. But Bobby does take one good solo.

"Lullaby from Rosemary’s Baby" never really goes anywhere; plus, there's not much in the way of jazz feeling. Neither "Light My Fire" nor "Sunshine of Your Love" work for me either. Other tracks like Wilson's "El Presidente" feature electric harpsichord, coming off a bit like the Munster’s theme.

I absolutely love Gerald Wilson. But there's not much to write home about here. It's probably the weakest LP in his run of recordings for Dick Bock's Pacific Jazz / World Pacific label.