BN-LA-037-G2

Grant Green - Live At The Lighthouse

Released - January 1973

Recording and Session Information

"The Lighthouse", Hermosa Beach, CA, April 21, 1972
Claude Bartee, tenor, soprano sax; Gary Coleman, vibes; Shelton Laster, organ; Grant Green, guitar; Wilton Felder, Fender bass; Greg Williams, drums; Bobbye Hall, percussion; Hank Stewart, announcer.

Introduction By Hank Stewart
11225 Windjammer
11226 Betcha By Golly Wow
11227 Fancy Free
11228 Flood In Franklin Park
11229 Jan Jan
11230 Walk In The Night

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Introduction/Windjammer	N. Creque	April 21 1972
Betcha By Golly Wow	T. Bell-L. Creed	April 21 1972
Side Two
Introduction/Fancy Free	Donald Byrd	April 21 1972
Side Three
Introduction/Flood In Franklin Park	S. Laster	April 21 1972
Side Four
Jan Jan	M. Davis	April 21 1972
Introduction/Walk In The Night	J. Bristol-M. McLeod	April 21 1972

Liner Notes

There was a hit record out recently entitled "Where Do We Begin." That record sums up my feelings completely, for with an LP like this one, where do you begin. Here is a performance recorded live at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California filled with so much excitement that one person could never go into detail about it. Now you take the regular Grant Green Quartet, add a Wilton Felder on Fender electric bass, spice it with a Gary Coleman on vibes and a superbad sister on congas named Bobbye Hall and you have the ingredients for a pot of soul that literally boiled over and scorched the audience. And what an audience. Some that had waited in line for over an hour to get in on this and when they did join the already emotion filled crowd they were served up a menu of jazz that they will never forget and you will never forget this LP once you put your needle into the grooves and get into "Windjammer," "Fancy Free," "Jan Jan," "Flood In Franklin Park," "Walk In The Night" and "Betcha By Golly Wow," plus you will climb into the musicians' instruments for that's how Claude Bartee (alto saxophone), Shelton Laster (organ), Greg Williams (drums) and last but not least, guitarist extraordinaire Grant Green got down for you. Believe me you are in store for a dynamite live session that's going to explode on your turntable and I certainly do not want to prolong your happiness any longer. Who me? Well, I am Hank Stewart, your MC for this set. Incidentally if you have listened to this LP already. Go back and put your needle on "Walk In The Night," and you will find yourself walking right back through this album.

Peace —Hank Stewart

1998 CD Reissue Liner Notes

When Grant Green arrived with his band at the Lighthouse in April of 1972, it is doubtful that he knew he was making his last record for BLUE NOTE records. He had recorded almost exclusively for BLUE NOTE since 1961 (with a year off for VERVE in 1966), and he was a consistent seller for the label. He had just recorded two albums, GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL and THE FINAL COMEDOWN (a soundtrack) and what better way to launch into 1972 than with a 'live' album with your current band. By today's standards, having strong commercial album (GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL), a soundtrack album (THE FINAL COMEDOWN) and a 'live' album in the works and a regular band (Claude Bartee on saxes, Shelton Laster on organ and Greg Williams on drums) surely would indicate a successful artist, one whom you could stick with. But after this live session was recorded and released, Grant Green's recording career lost its focus. By 1978, he had ceased making records. In 1979, he passed away, leaving an unresolved legacy.

But in April of 1972, he had a hot band. Shelton Laster gets into he Hammond B-3 in a way that Grant's previous organists never did. Shelton borders on rock-and:roll in power and groove. Greg Williams plays hard and funky. He never lets up the pulse. Greg's consistent pulse pushes Grant to some of his finest solos on record. The pacing and suspense Grant achieves on each solo, maintaining intensity and grace; this could only happen with a tight group. This is by far Grant's finest recorded band.

The kind of music that Grant recorded on this date is true to his nature for 1972. After Grant returned to BLUE NOTE in 1968, he decided not to make 'straight ahead' recordings. He wanted to expose himself to a larger, more open audience. By 1970, he had moved to Detroit (and established himself as a local celebrity). The songs he chose to record were from the popular music side of the business, and he chose pretty melodies and hot grooves to work with. On albums like ALIVE! and CARRY IN' ON, you can hear this Motown/James Brown sound.

By 1971, Issac Hayes and Marvin Gaye were creating interesting albums, and soundtracks were hot, so Grant composed and recorded the music for the film THE FINAL COMEDOWN.

In 1972, jazz had just splintered into Fusion and Soul Jazz, and Grant seemed to be caught in the middle. The audience that made Wes Montgomery successful now listened to pop, soul, funk and a new kind of jazz that synthesized the above styles. It is by no means coincidental that the 'CTI sound' was starting to catch fire with a large, new audience. These 'CTI artists' and CBS Fusion acts got most of the press and money, larger venues and more attention by large companies (as they mimicked pop and rock acts in sound and style. This would peak by 1976).

Soul Jazz was thought to cater to only a black audience, and as the inner-city venues began to disappear, local newspapers and radio stations lost control and were bought by large 'entities', the opportunities for big money seemed further away for artists like Grant. As hard as it was to make money, there was never enough to push his career forward to the next level. Jazz had the potential to make money, and Grant seemed to be a natural. But in late 1973, Herbie Hancock had a hit with "Chameleon", a synthesis of Sly Stone's rhythmic concept and Herbie's unique melodic and harmonic approach. Stevie Wonder was creating a new level of pop sophistication wit 1974's INNERVISIONS, and Earth, Wind and Fire made some of the most dynamic and innovative albums in 1975 and 1976. Clearly, the next level was out of the reach of Grant.

By 1973, Grant was no longer on Blue Note records. There are some incredible 'straight ahead' solos by Grant on Houston Person's self-titled album on Eastbound. These solos ("Dearly Beloved" being an example from this rare album) clearly indicate Grant's greatness as a guitarist on traditional jazz material. Perhaps he was relaxed by being a sideman, but you can hear the true genius of his style on the Person session, this swinging side of him that he suppressed for seven years.

He made two more albums as a leader before he passed away (in 1979) that in no way reflected his talent as a guitarist, but as an artist looking for a hit and the resultant fame and money. THE MAIN ATTRACTION, recorded in 1976 for KUDU RECORDS, is typical for its time. A stock group of studio players lay down tracks for a producer who then finds an artist (Grant) to play the melody and solo a little. Horns are overdubbed later. The music is pure disco-jazz. In 1978, a CTI clone released Grant's last official album called EAST. This album contains not one, but two COMMODORES covers ("Easy" and "Three Times A Lady")! Needless to say, both albums are rare and hard to find.

History has a way of correcting itself. Grant probably did not expect his music to be 'rediscovered' by a new generation of jazz fans and musicians. Living life in real time took up most of his time. He was (and maybe still is) an enigma to the current jazz world, and his old friends and bandmates have passed on or are reluctant to talk about him. He had a sound which reached into the lives and souls of his peers, and soon, he had no peers. The chase for success took him away from the cradle of the blues and jazz and into a world that didn't look for the soul of the artist, a world that didn't care whether he was the greatest jazz guitarist alive, a world that didn't care that he had a wonderful sense of melody and an exciting pulse.

Thank God the world changes.

—BOB BELDEN 1998