Booklet Notes:
'All Right Now' - I penned this composition while recovering from a bad case of food poisoning during which I really had the blues! The title `All Right Now' is self-explanatory.
'For the Love of You' - The Isley brothers were one of my favorite groups in my formative years... I've wanted to record "For the Love of You" in homage to them for almost as long as I've been playing guitar.
'Celia' - My friend Dwight Popcorn Miller wrote this song especially for this recording I hope he enjoys the way I've handled it.
'Sugar' - Written by Stanley Turrentine and Ted Daryll this song has been interpreted every which way in jazz. I wanted to add my approach to `Sugar' because it is a tune that moves me deeply.
'Isn't She Lovely' - Stevie Wonder writes music of great merit even when it's not performed in the usual chart-topping style...I really enjoyed playing this!
'Maiden Voyage' - How to describe this jazz classic? To tell the truth, we nearly didn't do it at all then we rehearsed a short version and then we rolled tape... and it developed and developed and... I'm sure glad we did it.
B.B. - This is my own composition which I sincerely dedicate to the undisputed King of Blues - B.B. King.
'Just Love' - This melody kept on creeping in and out of my head while I was holidaying in the Bahamas the setting and natural beauty of the place with my wife Charlene as wonderful company I concluded it was simply... Just Love.
Doc Powell, California, 1992
About the Artists
The recording of this session with "The Doctor" was memorable for me in many ways. Firstly, Doc Powell was so well prepared
and in command of his music that the whole album sailed through in about six hours!... Thereby leaving me with very little production work and able to concentrate on the sheer sound and the joy of his masterful talent.
Secondly, it was our first session to include "JULIUS" - the pet name for our newly arrived 1930 BLUTHNER 9 foot 3 concert-grand, the rarest piece of Julius Bluthner's Aliquot-strung genius in piano design. ("Aliquot" refers mainly to the upper two treble octaves having a suspended fourth string which is not struck by the hammers but is tuned for sympathetic vibration and also coupled to the damper functions.) Rodney Franklin fell instantly in love with our Bluthner and, no doubt, Julius inspired him to tremendous heights in his performance.
Impeccable indeed was Doc's choice of the other sidemen; with Reggie Hamilton on basses - (he plays a custom-built upright
"electric-stick" and guitar - style bass on various numbers) and Michael Baker on drums made for a star-studded backing group... who, generously, allow Doc to shine in the forefront.
Third & Lastly, I was personally honored that Doc chose to amplify his Gibson 335 guitar through a stock VTL 80 watt amplifier driving our (custom) cabinet which contains both a 12" and an 18" ElectroVoice Speaker combination. What an enjoyable session!