{{other uses}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Mister Magic | type = studio | artist = Grover Washington Jr. | cover = Mister_Magic.jpeg | alt = | released = February 7, 1975 | recorded = November 1974 | studio = Van Gelder, Englewood Cliffs | venue = | genre = Jazz funk<ref>{{cite web|last=Maclaren|first=Trevor|date=July 13, 2004|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/grover-washington-jr-mister-magic-grover-washington-jr-by-trevor-maclaren|title=Grover Washington Jr.: Mister Magic|publisher=All About Jazz|access-date=May 26, 2013}}</ref> | length = 32:51 | label = Kudu | producer = Creed Taylor | prev_title = Soul Box | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = Feels So Good | next_year = 1975 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative cover | type = Album | cover = Mister_Magic2.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = '''Motown Jazz reissue''' }} }}
'''''Mister Magic''''' is the fourth album by jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., released in February 1975. The album topped both the soul and jazz albums chart and peaked at number ten on the pop chart.
== Critical reception == {{music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web|last=Yanow|first=Scott|author-link=Scott Yanow|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mister-magic-mw0000196592|title=Mister Magic – Grover Washington Jr.|website=AllMusic|accessdate=May 26, 2013}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Christgau's Record Guide'' | rev2Score = B−<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: W|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=W&bk=70|accessdate=March 22, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide'' | rev4Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=RSJRG>{{Cite book |editor-last=Swenson |editor-first=J. | author-link = | year = 1985 | title = The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | publisher = Random House/Rolling Stone | location = USA | isbn = 0-394-72643-X | pages = 203 }}</ref> |rev3 = ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings'' |rev3score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="Penguin">{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |authorlink1=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |authorlink2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=1468}}</ref> }} Reviewing for ''The Village Voice'' in 1975, Robert Christgau found the album "functional" and satisfactory for a commercially successful jazz album: "Washington plays a warm tenor in the pop jazz tradition of Gene Ammons, but the rhythm section percolates danceably, and the result is sexy background music only superficially marred by Bob James's strings."<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=June 16, 1975|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv6-75.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=May 26, 2013}}</ref>
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow said that it is "one of Grover Washington Jr.'s best-loved recordings and considered a classic of r&bish jazz." He found Washington to be in "particularly creative form" and called James' arrangements "colorful if somewhat commercial".<ref name="AM" />
==Track listing== {{track listing |headline=Side one |title1=Earth Tones |writer1=Bob James |length1=12:20 |title2=Passion Flower |writer2=Billy Strayhorn, Milt Raskin |length2=5:30 }} {{track listing |headline=Side two |title1=Mister Magic |writer1=Ralph MacDonald |length1=8:58 |title2=Black Frost |writer2=Bob James, Grover Washington Jr. |length2=6:03 |total_length=32:51 }}
== Personnel == * Grover Washington Jr. – soprano, alto and tenor saxophones * Bob James – piano, Fender Rhodes, arrangements and conductor * Eric Gale – guitars * Phil Upchurch – bass (1) * Gary King – bass (2-4) * Harvey Mason – drums * Ralph MacDonald – percussion
'''Brass and reed section''' * Phil Bodner – baritone saxophone * Jerry Dodgion – tenor saxophone * Tony Studd – bass trombone * Wayne Andre – trombone * Jon Faddis and Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
'''String section''' * Charles McCracken and Alan Shulman – cello * Alfred Brown and Emanuel Vardi – viola * Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien and Matthew Raimondi – violin
'''Production''' * Creed Taylor – producer * Rudy Van Gelder – engineer * Bob Ciano – album design * Alen MacWeeney – photography * Doug Ramsey – liner notes
==Charts== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (1975) ! Peak<br>position |- | ''Billboard'' Pop Albums<ref name="allmusic albums">{{Cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p136173/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}}|title=Grover Washington Jr. US albums chart history|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> | align=center|10 |- | ''Billboard'' Top Soul Albums<ref name="allmusic albums" /> | align=center|1 |- | ''Billboard'' Top Jazz Albums<ref name="allmusic albums" /> | align=center|1 |- |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Chart positions<ref name="allmusic singles">{{Cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p136173/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|title=Grover Washington Jr. US singles chart history|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="40"| US<br>Pop ! width="40"| US<br>R&B |- | rowspan="1"|1975 | align="left"| "Mister Magic" | 54 | 16 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|type=album|58765}} {{Grover Washington Jr.}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1975 albums Category:Grover Washington Jr. albums Category:Kudu Records albums Category:Albums produced by Creed Taylor Category:Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio Category:Smooth jazz albums