Sorry for not posting lately, I've beed tied in with my studies. :(
This band is (I think) relatively unknown to Jazz Fans but they are nonetheless very interesting for both Cti fans and casual pop music fans alike.
Seawind hails from Hawaii and made some pop-music with
funk and disco-influences and christian lyrics. Most well-known may be the horn section with Kim Hutchcroft who played on George Benson, Jimmy Smith, Patrice Rushen, Alphonse Mouzon albums (among many others) and Jerry Hey,
who played and arranged with/for Bill Summers, George Duke, Lee Ritenour, Michael Jackson, etc.
Seawind made two albums for Cti, "
Window of a Child" and the debut "Seawind".
"Seawind" begins with a nice laid back funky tune (quote: "The funk will open up the door") called "we got a way".
"You Gotta Be Willin' To Lose" has bad ass bass/guitar intro which is sadly interrupted by a pace change and singer Pauline Wilson's squeaky singing. I wish they would've sticked to the style . "He loves you" is a nice ballad in a bossa mood (Chick Corea's collaboration with Flora Purim came to my mind).
"The Devil is a liar is the most "complex" one: The song begins in the mood where "He loves you" ended, continues with a short, danceable pop part before it reaches the climax with all instruments in full power.
"A love song" starts with some guitarwork/singing that i associated with a hippie sitting in the grass, singing his song. This is shortlived though. After 1 1/2 minutes it changes to a fully instrumental
setting. It's difficult to describe, it's probably the least interesting one for the fans.
"Make up your mind" is totally different. Four minutes of funky pop/disco (and sadly just spare lyrics) that would've made "Tower of Power" proud.
"Praise" could best be described as instrumental pop. The funky bass is still there, but very subtle.
The final track ("Roadways") is probably the most interesting one for those that are more interested in the Jazz veine of Seawind due to the nice Soprano soli.
This record is all in all very eclectric, both diehard funk/pop fans will find a lot to enjoy but it's also recommended for those that have an ear for fusion.
I've included "We got a way" and "Roadways" to show what the album is about.
Seawind had some legal quarrels with Creed taylor in the past with the result that Cti lost the the rights to the tapes. The albums are nonetheless availbale, but only via the bands website. I'm afraid that I don't find the emails but the I remember that the prices were reasonable. I managed to get a cheap vinyl copy on ebay.
I'll feature the other album shortly..
