Eric Gale - Ginseng Woman (1977)

01.Ginseng Woman

02.Red Ground

03.Sara Smile

04.De Rabbit

05.She Is My Lady

06.East End, West End.

Lamar Alsop - Viola

Wayne Andre - Trombone

Patti Austin - Vocals

Michael Brecker - Saxophone

Randy Brecker - Trumpet

Vivian Cherry - Vocals

Harry Cykman - Violin

Eddie Daniels - Saxophone

Bill Eaton - Vocals

Max Ellen - Violin

Jon Faddis - Trumpet

Frank Floyd - Vocals

Steve Gadd - Drums

Eric Gale - Guitar

Paul Gershman - Violin

Harry Glickman - Violin

Lani Groves - Vocals

Diana Halprin - Violin

Anthony Jackson - Bass

Bob James - Keyboards, Producer

Gary King - Bass

Harold Kohon - Violin

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Charles McCracken - Cello

Marvin Morgenstern - Violin

David Nadien - Violin

Max Pollikoff - Violin

Alan Rubin - Trumpet

Zachary Sanders - Vocals

Alan Shulman - Cello

Ray Simpson - Vocals

Andrew Smith - Drums

Lew Soloff - Trumpet

David Taylor - Trombone

Richard Tee - Keyboards, Piano

Emanuel Vardi - Viola

Grover Washington, Jr. - Saxophone

George Young - Saxophone.

Good fusion, light jazz, and instrumental pop/R&B session from a talented guitarist who's made his living by carefully editing his solos and plugging into funk dates. Gale doesn't cut loose, but shows enough to hold interest, while the arrangements and production are geared for Urban and Adult Contemporary outlets and audiences.by Ron Wynn.

Eric Gale - Touch Of Silk (1980)

01. You Got My Life In Your Hands
02. Touch Of Silk
03. War Paint
04. Once In A Smile
05. With You I'm Born Again
07. Au Private
08. Live To Love.


Guitar - Eric Gale
Bass - David Barard
Drums - Idris Muhammad (tracks: B1,B2) James Black
Keyboards - Allen R. Toussaint , Robert Dabon
Organ - Charles Earland
Percussion - Kenneth Williams
Saxophone - Arthur Blythe , Gary Brown , Grover Washington,Jr.,Harold Vick.

In 1980, guitarist and composer Eric Gale came off the commercial success of 1979's Part of You (produced by Ralph MacDonald) and didn't do the obvious thing. Rather than make another record that swung for the smooth jazz fences, he made a darker, deeper, funkier, and bluesier album with legendary New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint. The sessions included the cream of the Crescent City's jazz-funk crop as well as mates Charlie Earland, Grover Washington, Jr., and Idris Muhammad, three of soul-jazz's greatest lights -- with special guest Arthur Blythe on the Charlie Parker nugget "Au Privave" as a curve ball. Toussaint wrote four of the album's seven tracks, and they range from the murky blue soul-jazz of "You Got My Life in Your Hands" to the sweet, boudoir-perfect urban-styled title track. Gale is a consummate soloist, full of lilting and biting grooves, with stunning phrasing that maximizes the rhythmic effect of his high strings (such as on "War Paint"), and he never plays an extra note. The beautiful ballad "With You I'm Born Again" has Washington playing some of his most haunting soprano, and the wildly funked-up "Au Privave," a holdover from the bop generation that keeps its original flavor despite the three-instrument front line of Earland's B-3, Blythe's alto, and Gale's chunky bottom strings (which are accented in his comping through the changes), is nothing short of astonishing. This is one of the great versions of the tune, especially in this modern context, and offers solid proof of Gale's bebop roots. This is an even better side available in the U.S., but only as an expensive Japanese import. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.