{"title":"Cleveland Eaton","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCleveland Eaton was a multi-talented musician, producer, arranger, composer, and publisher. Born on August 31, 1939 in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A., he had an impressive range of musical skills including piano, saxophone, trumpet, tuba, and string bass. He was also the head of his own record company based in Birmingham. Throughout his career, Cleveland Eaton made significant contributions to the music industry and left a lasting legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith his diverse musical abilities and extensive experience as a producer and arranger [and composer], Cleveland Eaton brought a unique perspective to his work. His talents spanned across various instruments including the piano [saxophone], trumpet [tuba], and string bass. This versatility allowed him to create rich compositions that showcased his exceptional skills.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to being a talented musician,[Cleveland Eaton] also took on roles as a producer,[arranger], composer,[publisher] which further highlighted his expertise in the music industry.[Throughout his career], he worked with numerous artists[on various projects] and played an integral role in shaping their sound[s]. His dedication to music extended beyond performing; he established [his own] record company based in Birmingham which served as a platform for promoting new talent[artists].\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"plenty-good-eaton","title":"Plenty Good Eaton","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe jazz world lost a true legend when bassist Cleveland Eaton passed away in the Summer of 2020. This 1975 album, one of the real gems in the hallowed Black Jazz label catalog, takes the full measure of the man. Cleve recorded \u003ci\u003ePlenty Good Eaton\u003c\/i\u003e right after he left Ramsey Lewis' band, with whom he recorded a grand total of 17 (!) different albums for such labels as Argo, Cadet and Columbia, including the hit records Wade in the Water, Another Voyage, and Sun Goddess. Then, starting in 1980, Eaton spent a dozen years with Count Basie's band, and if you can imagine some blend of Lewis' soul-funk with Basie's hard-driving swing, you might just begin to grasp what's on the menu of Plenty Good Eaton (the album graphics actually present the credits and songs as if they were menu entrees). This truly is fusion cuisine, and it's (sorry) cookin', too, ranging from the Blaxploitation soundtrack stylings of \u003ci\u003eKeena, All Your Lover All Day All Night\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHamburg 302\u003c\/i\u003e, all of which incorporate disco-style strings into funky soul-jazz vamps, to the almost trad-jazz of \u003ci\u003eKaiser 405\u003c\/i\u003e, to the Philly soul of \u003ci\u003eAre You Out There Somewhere Caring,\u003c\/i\u003e to the out-and-out party anthem \u003ci\u003eMoe Let's Have a Party.\u003c\/i\u003e The cooks in the kitchen are first-rate, too, including such Chess-label stalwarts as keyboardist Odell Brown and percussionist Morris Jennings and fellow Black Jazz label artists Steve Galloway and Arie Brown of The Awakening. This long-awaited and timely reissue of \u003ci\u003ePlenty Good Eaton\u003c\/i\u003e features a fresh remastering by Mike Milchner of SonicVision, plus notes by Pat Thomas that include remembrances from Cleve's widow Myra and long-time friend Lee Shook. A musical meal not to miss.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Real Gone Music","offers":[{"title":"Orange | LP","offer_id":50413797802315,"sku":"1107207","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/36f0365d-a1e9-457c-8281-5db5d99372ac_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726677371"},{"product_id":"half-and-half-2","title":"Half and Half","description":"\u003cp\u003eLike the winged half-man\/half-bull that dominates its outrageous cover, Cleveland Eaton's \u003ci\u003eHalf And Half\u003c\/i\u003e is a mutant bass-heavy monster that absolutely slays. Incredible jazz-funk from 1973, it's been largely overlooked for decades, and unfairly so. This is just sensational music - a crate digger's  delight. It's super funky throughout, with lots of layers, jazz breaks for days, dripping with style and gritty class. This is the first reissue of what has been a hard to find record for many years; it's long overdue. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoyous music for mind, soul and body. Cleveland Eaton was a revered bassist who played an active role in the backing of Count Basie, the Donald Byrd Quintet, The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Terry Callier and Minnie Riperton; amongst many, many others. \u003ci\u003eHalf And Half \u003c\/i\u003ewas the first album released under his own name, initially released as a private press record on his - awkwardly named - Cle An Thair Records. It was then picked up by Gamble \u0026amp; Huff for Gamble Records. Varied, string-adorned and with stupid funky grooves, it's just exceptionally good. Whilst\u003ci\u003e Half And Half\u003c\/i\u003e is treasured for its famously brilliant interpretations of gold funk-soul standards, Eaton proves an imaginative composer in his own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Indeed, the album opens with a striking original; the earthy, laconic jazz-guitar-funk fusion of \"Keep It Funky\". Cleveland and co. do exactly that. Up next is a properly moving cover of Aretha Franklin's eternal \"Day Dreaming\". The flute and guitar combo truly achieve celestial greatness here. \"Here Comes Funky Lou\" rides a bassline from the Gods and a driving soul-jazz groove allows the track to go off in all sorts of directions. Serene guitar soul of the breezy variety one moment, crazy hectic violin-driven wig outs the next, courtesy of Ed Green who played with Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. His blistering two track salvo of Stylistics covers to close out this A-Side of A-Sides will leave your jaw dropped, and they're likely the reason you're here for this. And why not? \"Betcha By Golly Wow\", which uses a bed of acidy synths and harmonica to create a unique atmosphere, is on some next level business. Melancholic, wistful, beautiful. \"People Make the World Go Round\" is so good, dripping in wonderful horns and ace percussive breaks, it could even be regarded as the definitive version. Seriously! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Opening Side B, War's gigantic \"Slipping Into Darkness\" is tightly tailored to Eaton's funky flute fusion arrangement whilst the insistent \"Missing You\" is a swaggering horn-heavy version of Luther Ingram's track from the Dilla\/Ghostface-linked LP, I've Been Here All The Time. The creeping,  screeching guitar-drenched original \"John's Groove\" features more fantastic horn lines and neck- snapping percussion whilst \"The Love Gangster\", written by Bill Wyman and Stephen Stills for his  seminal Manassas LP, contains a heavy break with slick drums high in the mix and fuzzy guitars. The album closes with two more Eaton originals. Written with Johnny Guitar Watson, \"Lie\" is one hell of a funky string and guitar-driven gem whilst the wild, celebratory \"Ah Movin' On\" cleverly quotes \"Wade In The Water\" (which he'd recorded with Ramsey Lewis in 1966) folding it into his new free-jazz composition. A message to his old boss, perhaps, as a sign-off? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn absolute must-have for fans of soulful jazz-funk, \u003ci\u003eHalf And Half\u003c\/i\u003e was mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman at Final Tweak. The bizarre artwork, mutant beast and all, was restored at Be With HQ over many painstaking months! Hopefully, this new edition, a real labour of love, should bring Cleveland Eaton into the homes and record boxes of many more people.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50486949511499,"sku":"2018602","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Half_and_Half_0af403b9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727618044"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_b151a61e_thumbnail_4096_d65a7adb-0596-4cbe-b07e-7361a9310f0a.jpg?v=1726677353","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/cleveland-eaton.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}