Out of the Shadows (Dave Grusin album)

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{{Infobox album

| name = Out of the Shadows

| type = studio

| artist = Dave Grusin

| cover = Out_of_the_Shadows_Dave_Grusin_1980_album.png

| alt =

| released = 1982

| recorded = 1982

| venue =

| studio = A&R Recording (New York City, New York)

| genre = Jazz

| length = 43:18

| label = GRP

| producer = * Dave Grusin

| prev_title = Dave Grusin Presents the GRP All-Stars Live in Japan

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Night Lines

| next_year = 1983

}}

Out of the Shadows is an album by American pianist Dave Grusin. The album consists mostly of original, pop-influenced jazz compositions. Released by Arista and Grusin's own GRP Records in 1982, it experienced favorable critical reception and became a commercial success, spawning the single "She Could Be Mine" and becoming one of his highest-charting albums when it peaked at number four on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and number 88 on the all-genre Billboard 200. It continues to be retrospectively well regarded by critics.

Background and release

The majority of the eight-song album consists of original compositions by Grusin, as well as a rendition of the Gerry Mulligan song "Five Brothers". The record incorporates elements of jazz and pop, and has been considered to bear influence from the Frank Mills piece "Music Box Dancer". It was released in 1982 by GRP Records.{{cite web |title=Releases: Out of the Shadows |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-shadows-mw0000191924/releases |website=Allmusic |publisher=RhythmOne |access-date=May 1, 2021}} It was released as a compact disc in 1990. The track "She Could Be Mine", produced by Grusin and Larry Rosen, was released as a single in August 1982, by Arista; the single edit was three minutes and forty-six seconds long. It was also later featured as the opening track on his 1988 greatest hits compilation, Collection.{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=Collection |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/collection-mw0000198663 |website=Allmusic |publisher=RhythmOne |access-date=May 1, 2021}}

Reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}

| rev2 = Billboard

| rev2score = Top Album Pick

| rev3 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev3score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2007 |publisher=Omnibus |location=London |isbn=9780857125958 |page=1566 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&dq=dave+grusin+%22out+of+the+shadows%22&pg=PA1566 |access-date=March 15, 2022}}

| rev4 = Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz

| rev4score = {{rating|3|4}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz |date=2004 |publisher=Virgin |location=London |isbn=9781852271831 |page=363}}

}}

An album review in the September 18, 1982, issue of Billboard remarked that the album was "not for the serious jazz fan", but suggested that pop fans would enjoy it, going on to call him the "Frank Mills of the jazz world".{{cite magazine |title=Billboard's Top Album Picks |magazine=Billboard |date=September 18, 1982 |volume=94 |issue=37 |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=Dave+Grusin |access-date=March 16, 2022}} The album was also designated as a "Top Album Pick" for the week. The single "She Could be Mine" was highlighted as a "selected" pop single in the August 28, 1982, issue of Billboard.{{cite magazine |title=Billboard's Top Single Picks |magazine=Billboard |date=August 28, 1982 |volume=94 |issue=34 |page=46 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8SQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=dave+grusin+she+could+be+mine&pg=PT67 |access-date=May 1, 2021}} Retrospectively, the album holds a score of three out of five stars from Allmusic, and three out of four stars in both the Encyclopedia of Popular Music and the Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz.{{cite web |title=Out of the Shadows |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-shadows-mw0000191924 |website=Allmusic |publisher=RhythmOne |access-date=May 1, 2021}}

Upon its release, the album became Grusin's second-highest-peaking (at the time) entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it peaked at number 88 on the chart dated September 4, 1982. It spent a total of nine weeks on the tally. It also peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, becoming his second top-five entry after Mountain Dance peaked at number 3 in 1981. The track "Anthem Internationale" is used as the theme song for the Minnesota PBS public affairs program Almanac.{{cite journal |title=To the Hosts |journal=Scene |date=1984 |page=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yJIgAQAAMAAJ&q=%22dave+grusin%22+%22anthem+internationale%22+%22almanac%22 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |publisher=Twin City Area Educational Television Corporation}}

Track listing

Side A

  1. "Last Train to Paradiso" (Dave Grusin) - 5:13
  2. "She Could Be Mine" (Don Grusin) - 5:16
  3. "Crystal Morning" (Lee Ritenour) - 5:47
  4. "Five Brothers" (Gerry Mulligan) - 6:02

Side B

  1. "Anthem Internationale" (Dave Grusin) - 6:58 (Album version), 4:12 (Single version)
  2. "Serengeti Walk" (Dave Grusin, Harvey Mason, Louis Johnson) - 6:49
  3. "Hokkaido" (Dave Grusin) - 1:59
  4. "Sweetwater Nights" (Dave Grusin) - 5:14

Personnel

= Production =

  • Akira Taguchi – executive producer
  • Dave Grusin – producer, arrangements, digital mixing
  • Larry Rosen – producer, recording, digital mixing
  • Ollie Cotton – recording assistant, mix assistant
  • Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
  • Frank Dickinson – digital equipment
  • Peter Lopez – GRP production coordinator
  • Takashi Misu – JVC production coordinator
  • Daverhone, Inc. – design
  • Tom Biondo – photography
  • Lisa Daurio – stylist
  • Webster McKnight – hair stylist

CD credits

  • Ted Jensen – digital remastering
  • Josiah Gluck – production supervisor
  • Andy Baltimore – creative director, package design
  • Addi B. Dayan – package design

Charts

class="wikitable"
Chart (1980)

! Peak
position

US Billboard 200{{cite magazine |title=Chart History: Dave Grusin |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/dave-grusin/chart-history/tlp/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=May 1, 2021}}

| align=center| 88

US Jazz Albums (Billboard){{cite web |title=Dave Grusin: Awards |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-grusin-mn0000684920/awards |website=AllMusic |publisher=RhythmOne |access-date=March 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017095914/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-grusin-mn0000684920/awards |archive-date=October 17, 2012}}

| align=center| 4

References

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