# Mister Magic > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mister_Magic > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mister_Magic.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Magic > Source revision: 1355657170 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{other uses}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Mister Magic | type = studio | artist = [Grover Washington Jr.](/source/Grover_Washington_Jr.) | cover = Mister_Magic.jpeg | alt = | released = February 7, 1975 | recorded = November 1974 | studio = [Van Gelder](/source/Van_Gelder_Studio), [Englewood Cliffs](/source/Englewood_Cliffs) | venue = | genre = [Jazz funk](/source/Jazz_funk){{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](/source/All_About_Jazz)|access-date=May 26, 2013}} | length = 32:51 | label = [Kudu](/source/CTI_Records) | producer = [Creed Taylor](/source/Creed_Taylor) | prev_title = [Soul Box](/source/Soul_Box) | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = [Feels So Good](/source/Feels_So_Good_(Grover_Washington_Jr._album)) | 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.](/source/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](/source/AllMusic) | rev1score = {{rating|5|5}}{{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](/source/AllMusic)|accessdate=May 26, 2013}} | rev2 = ''[Christgau's Record Guide](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide%3A_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)'' | rev2Score = B−{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies](/source/Christgau's_Record_Guide%3A_Rock_Albums_of_the_Seventies)|publisher=[Ticknor & Fields](/source/Ticknor_%26_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}} | rev4 = ''[The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide](/source/The_Rolling_Stone_Jazz_Record_Guide)'' | rev4Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{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 }} |rev3 = ''[The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings](/source/The_Penguin_Guide_to_Jazz_Recordings)'' |rev3score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{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](/source/The_Penguin_Guide_to_Jazz) |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=[Penguin](/source/Penguin_Books) |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=1468}} }} Reviewing for ''[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)'' in 1975, [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) found the album "functional" and satisfactory for a commercially successful jazz album: "Washington plays a warm tenor in the [pop jazz](/source/pop_jazz) tradition of [Gene Ammons](/source/Gene_Ammons), but the rhythm section percolates danceably, and the result is sexy [background music](/source/background_music) only superficially marred by [Bob James](/source/Bob_James_(musician))'s strings."{{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](/source/The_Village_Voice)|location=New York|accessdate=May 26, 2013}} In a retrospective review for [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic), [Scott Yanow](/source/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". ==Track listing== {{track listing |headline=Side one |title1=Earth Tones |writer1=[Bob James](/source/Bob_James_(musician)) |length1=12:20 |title2=Passion Flower |writer2=[Billy Strayhorn](/source/Billy_Strayhorn), [Milt Raskin](/source/Milt_Raskin) |length2=5:30 }} {{track listing |headline=Side two |title1=Mister Magic |writer1=[Ralph MacDonald](/source/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](/source/Bob_James_(musician)) – piano, [Fender Rhodes](/source/Fender_Rhodes), arrangements and conductor * [Eric Gale](/source/Eric_Gale) – guitars * [Phil Upchurch](/source/Phil_Upchurch) – bass (1) * [Gary King](/source/Gary_King_(bass_player)) – bass (2-4) * [Harvey Mason](/source/Harvey_Mason) – drums * [Ralph MacDonald](/source/Ralph_MacDonald) – percussion '''Brass and reed section''' * Phil Bodner – baritone saxophone * [Jerry Dodgion](/source/Jerry_Dodgion) – tenor saxophone * Tony Studd – bass trombone * [Wayne Andre](/source/Wayne_Andre) – trombone * [Jon Faddis](/source/Jon_Faddis) and [Marvin Stamm](/source/Marvin_Stamm) – trumpet, flugelhorn '''String section''' * Charles McCracken and [Alan Shulman](/source/Alan_Shulman) – cello * Alfred Brown and [Emanuel Vardi](/source/Emanuel_Vardi) – viola * Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Harold Kohon, [Harry Lookofsky](/source/Harry_Lookofsky), Joe Malin, [David Nadien](/source/David_Nadien) and Matthew Raimondi – violin '''Production''' * Creed Taylor – producer * [Rudy Van Gelder](/source/Rudy_Van_Gelder) – engineer * Bob Ciano – album design * Alen MacWeeney – photography * Doug Ramsey – liner notes ==Charts== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (1975) ! Peak
position |- | [''Billboard'' Pop Albums](/source/Billboard_200){{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}} | align=center|10 |- | ''Billboard'' [Top Soul Albums](/source/Top_R%26B%2FHip-Hop_Albums) | align=center|1 |- | ''Billboard'' Top Jazz Albums | align=center|1 |- |} ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Chart positions{{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}} |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="40"| [US
Pop](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) ! width="40"| [US
R&B](/source/Hot_R%26B%2FHip-Hop_Songs) |- | 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mister Magic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Magic) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Magic?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.