[TR24][OF] Patrick Williams - Come On And Shine (Remastered) - 1978/2015 (Fusion)

Patrick Williams, one of Hollywood’s great composers, has created soundtracks for over 70 films as well as numerous television series and is a multiple Emmy and Grammy winner. On this 1977 recording Williams enlists the help of some jazz greats, including pianist Dave Grusin, guitarist Steve Kahn and drummer Grady Tate, to interpret his originals along with a couple of his best-known television themes from The Bob Newhart Show and Lou Grant and a cover of Blue Light.
The album was issued as Come On And Shine on the German MPS label in 1978 and as the bizarrely generic Theme (probably due to the inclusion of the “theme” to two TV shows Williams was actively engaged in at the time) on the American Pausa label. In either case, the album has long been out of print and one of the scarcest of all of Williams’ records. Not necessarily as grand in intent or execution as the previous Threshold, Come On And Shine shows what Williams could have done on his Verve albums given half the chance. The groove-laden title track features Dave Grusin comping on electric piano, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax and was included recently (at my suggestion) on Universal’s recent Disco Jazz compilation. The scandalously brief ballad “One for My Three” features trumpeter Marvin Stamm, tenor saxist Lou Marini and alto saxist Gerry Niewood. “Lou Grant Theme” (which Williams would also include as “Lou’s Blues” as part of his 1983 album Dreams & Themes with Tom Scott taking the lead) features Jerome Richardson on alto sax. The beautiful “And We Will Love Again” features guitarist Steve Kahn, the immediately identifiable Dave Grusin (comping on electric piano and soloing on acoustic piano) and the harmonica of Toots Thielemanns, who also solos on the clever big-band funk of “The Late Night Wizzard.” The gospel funk of “Sail On” showcases Steve Khan on electric guitar while the surprisingly funked-up take on “Bob Newhart” theme spotlights Sonny Burke on electric piano. The moody “Barrio,” which, like “Blue Light” features the great tenor sax of Pete Christlieb, is surely from one of Williams’ TV or film productions (probably Lou Grant) and is one of the album’s strongest tracks.