Wishful Thinking
was recorded in 1983 and 1984, just before
Earl Klugh
left
Capitol Records
for the greener pastures of
Warner Bros.
in 1985. What makes the album compelling -- despite its brief running time, clocking in a bit over 36 minutes -- is that it is a summation, really, of all the places
Klugh
had been as a player and composer. A self-produced effort, it showcases his wonderfully rhythmic, deeply melodic gift on an acoustic nylon-stringed guitar. From his earliest days with
Blue Note
almost a decade earlier,
brought something truly different to the table. His sound was rooted in blues, but elegantly and sparely articulated. He brought a soul-jazz approach to everything he touched, but wasn't afraid to allow classical music into his approach; he also looked toward the music of film score composers like
Michel Legrand
and
John Williams
in bringing out a certain textured shade of emotion that is on display here like a rainbow after a storm. There are small-ensemble pieces, such as the title track with
Eric Gale
playing gorgeous fills to
's enchanting melody. Then there's the calypso-flavored
"Tropical Legs,"
with bassist
Lucio Hopper
and percussionist
Sammy Figueroa
bringing in a solid yet breezy backbeat over which
, electric guitarist
Carlos Rios
, and keyboardist
Barry Eastmond
interact fluidly.
"The Only One for Me"
adds the telltale emotive sound of
David Sanborn
's alto saxophone to the mix and allows
Eastmond
's keyboards to create an atmospheric backdrop for
's limpid funk melodic leads to wind around the rhythm section.
But in many ways this is only the beginning, as
engages his wider aspirations with orchestral arrangements complementing his guitar playing, making for surprisingly lush works such as
"All the Time,"
which begins with a killer little reggae rhythm from
Ronnie Foster
's B-3 and
Charles Meeks
' bass laying down against
Paulinho Da Costa
's percussion work and a solid backbeat by
James Bradley, Jr.
on drums.
Phil Upchurch
Donald Griffin
lend alternately rhythmic electric six-string fills and soaring leads to the middle. But get this: the whole thing is texturally orchestrated with strings -- including a harp -- arranged and conducted by
Johnny Mandel
!
David Matthews
uses a larger group to accompany, texture, and create dreamy soundscapes for
"A Natural Thing,"
where
is the only other musician.
Don Sebesky
's orchestra backs a band that includes bassist
Ron Carter
, guitarist
Joe Beck
,
Figueroa
, and drummer
Brian Brake
for the most lilting and heartbreaking lyric composition on the record. Finally,
Matthews
returns, backing
in a deceptive little workout called
"Right from the Start."
What begins as an intimate, wispy little Spanish melody by
's guitars with some backdropped strings explodes into a smoking Latin jazz big-band workout.
is a dizzying array of colors, textures, warmth, and heat that proves
not only knows exactly what he wants, but how to bring the right people in to get it for him. This isn't merely the work of a guitarist, but a visionary who cares about pop, classical, jazz, blues, and funk equally and brings them to bear seemingly effortlessly. The weird thing? This is actually typical of his
Capitol
period. ~ Thom Jurek