Earl Klugh, Earth, Wind & Fire make auspicious comeback
KLUGH. Takes intimate look at tunes from different genres.
Jazz fans have good reason to smile these days: With the release of “Now, Then & Forever,” Earth, Wind & Fire reintroduces the vaunted jazz, funk and soul sound that characterized its music in its “That’s The Way of the World” heyday.
Appropriately, the collection comes in the heels of Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake and Daft Punk sending up the ’70s in their nostalgia-infused pop hits.
Eight years after “Illumination,” the group’s Billboard-charting, 21st studio album reflects the timelessness of its musicality as it delivers floor-thumping tunes (“Dance Floor,” “Night of My Life”) that derive their appeal from the repertoire’s catchy licks and positive vibe.
There are hooks that are hard to resist: The upbeat “My Promise,” the sizzling makeout track, “Guiding Lights,” and the soothing Brazilian-jazz number, “Belo Horizonte.”
And, if you wish to revisit EWF’s enduring musical legacy, the album’s deluxe edition includes some of the group’s greatest hits—from the scorching “Can’t Let Go” and “Fantasy” to the groovesome “You and I.”
‘HandPicked’
Earl Klugh also comes on strong in “HandPicked,” a 16-track collection that has the revered jazz guitarist taking an intimate look at songs from different genres:
Listen to the way he reimagines The Eagles’ “Hotel California” with ukulele player Jake Shimabukuru, or the heady fusion of Klugh’s classical guitar and Bill Frisell’s electric guitar in a reworking of Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon.”
Even more memorable is his exceptional collaboration with country-music vocalist Vince Gill in their teasing, note-worthy revival of The Everly Brothers’ “All I Have To Do Is Dream.”
For the most part, Klugh goes at it solo, with his striking and soulful renditions of “Alfie,” “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” “‘Round Midnight,” “If I Fell” and “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing.”
But, Klugh doesn’t only rely on his covers’ easy recall to win over his listeners—even his originals (“In Six,” “Where The Wind Takes Me,” “Morning Rain” and “This Time”) are jazzy gems that sumptuously prove why he is one of the finest guitar players of his generation!
