Soul Box

Last updated

Soul Box
SoulGrover 1.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1973
RecordedMarch 1973
Studio Van Gelder, Englewood Cliffs
Genre Jazz
Length33:00Soul Box Vol. 1
35:18 Soul Box Vol. 2
68:18 Verve CD
Label Kudu
KU-12/13
Producer Creed Taylor
Grover Washington Jr. chronology
All the King's Horses
(1972)
Soul Box
(1973)
Mister Magic
(1975)
Alternative cover
SoulGrover 2.jpg
Verve CD reissue
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Soul Box is the third studio album by American saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. The project was originally divided into two LPs with nearly identical covers, both released in 1973 on Kudu Records as Soul Box Vol. 1 (KU-12) and Soul Box Vol. 2 (KU-13). It was then reissued as a two-LP set (KUX-1213). Both albums were recorded in March 1973 with the same personnel.

Contents

As compact discs gained popularity, Motown reissued Soul Box Vol. 1 and Soul Box Vol. 2 on CD in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, Vol. 2 was mastered with the wrong track separation. Original tracks #1 and #2 were combined into a single track of 17 minutes, track #3 was cut as track #2, and track #4 was cut as track #3. Subsequently, a misprint on the CD and the disc's back cover listed only three tracks. The titles did not match the corresponding tracks, and the tunes' durations did not match those listed on the LP.

It took until 2008, when Verve/GRP Records released the two volumes on one CD, to correct the errors and ensure track separations and title durations corresponded to the original Kudu LPs.

Track listing

Soul Box Vol. 1

  1. "Aubrey" (David Gates) – 3:44
  2. "Masterpiece" (Norman Whitfield) – 13:20
  3. "Trouble Man" (Marvin Gaye) – 15:56

Soul Box Vol. 2

  1. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Stevie Wonder) – 6:03
  2. "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday) – 11:11
  3. "Medley: Easy Living/Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)/(Everett Robbins, Porter Grainger) – 9:56
  4. "Taurian Matador" (Billy Cobham Jr.) – 8:08

Motown 2*CD reissue

Soul Box Vol. 1

  1. "Aubrey" (David Gates) – 3:44
  2. "Masterpiece" (Norman Whitfield) – 13:22
  3. "Trouble Man" (Marvin Gaye) – 15:54

Soul Box Vol. 2 (with incorrect track mastering & listing)

  1. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Stevie Wonder) – 17:23
  2. "Don't Explain" (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie Holiday) – 9:59
  3. "Medley: Easy Living/'Taint Nobody's Business If I Do/Taurian Matador" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)/(Everett Robbins, Porter Grainger/Billy Cobham Jr.) – 12:10

Verve 1*CD reissue

  1. "Aubrey" (David Gates) – 3:44
  2. "Masterpiece" (Norman Whitfield) – 13:20
  3. "Trouble Man" (Marvin Gaye) – 15:56
  4. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Wonder) – 6:03
  5. "Don't Explain" (Herzog Jr., Holiday) – 11:11
  6. "Medley: Easy Living/Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do" (Robin, Rainger)/(Everett Robbins, Grainger) – 9:56
  7. "Taurian Matador" (Billy Cobham Jr.) – 8:08

Personnel

Band

Brass Section

Woodwind Section

Strings

Vocals

Production

References

  1. Soul Box at AllMusic
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 203. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.