Saxguy's Full Review: Wrap Around Joy by Carole King
1974 saw me at the University of Illinois, away from home, with a manageable course load. I was doing it all, while, of course maintaining a good academic record.
I hadn’t settled on a business major yet, so I was doing lots of music while wrestling with with my business courses, and on the student radio station as a DJ. One of the perks was that I could buy LPs cheap – the top 100 and new releases. So, I bought lots of albums including this one.
Of course, Jazzman was my favorite cut. Great lyrics, delivered by Carole’s sweet voice, with a smoldering Tom Scott saxophone solo wrapped around and through it.
I knew then that Carole had a nice voice and could write great songs. However, I had no appreciation of her unusual talents until I got this CD. Sure, I knew her Tapestry album was a mega hit but I did not own it yet. I had no idea that Hi De Ho and other songs as Up On The Roof, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and You’ve Got a Friend were her compositions.
So I got this album knowing Jazzman was on it and hoping there were a few other solid cuts. What a joy it was to discover the depth of her songwriting (she co-composed all the tunes on this album with David Palmer) and the range of her sincere, versatile yet vulnerable voice.
This music still sounds great today. The range includes from ballads A Night This Side of Dying abut drug-induced self-destruction and You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine about a breakup. Also included are songs with bouncier tempos, but some, like My Lovin’ Eyes, Sweet Adonis and We Are In This Together carry somber messages about lost love, betrayal and a desperate side of life. Others are much more positive, such as Wrap Around Joy, You Gentle Me and Nightingale.
This is very well produced from start to finish. Several songs have horn arrangements, jazzy changes and feels. There are plenty of background vocals. This was a major pop production and it shows in tightness and quality of arrangements and performances throughout. As a pianist and composer, the changes in some of her songs reflect an understanding of jazz progressions and harmony. She obviously has been influenced by blues and gospel music as well.
Thanks to this album, I developed an appreciation for Carole’s skills and I soon bought Tapestry.
However, it was years later before I fully appreciated why Jazzman moves me so much. It because it hits me where I live. I didn’t even know it then.
As a 50 year old, I understand that I have the soul of a performer and music must be part of my life. As a 20-year-old, I didn’t come close to understanding that. Heck, I didn’t realize that until I was well into my 30’s wondering, as Peggy Lee used to sing “Is that all there is?”
No, it is lyrics like these that rock me to my very core:
A song of pure revival
And a style that's sanctified
And, later
When the Jazzman's signifyin'
And the band is windin' low
It's the late night side of mourning
In the darkness of his soul
That’s me. She nailed it.
Maybe she hung out with jazz players. After all, she was a performer AND a composer. Jazz in it’s purest form is spontaneous composition. So perhaps that is how she understood. But she understands who the most important audience is for any performer - himself or herself. Sure, the crowd is important and bucks are wonderful. But the musician has to please himself or herself first as a communicator.
This is a tremendous album and I highly recommend it.
Cut list:
1 Nightingale
2 Change in Mind, Change of Heart
3 Jazzman
4 You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine
5 You're Something New
6 We Are All in This Together
7 Wrap Around Joy
8 You Gentle Me
9 My Lovin' Eyes
10 Sweet Adonis
11 A Night This Side of Dying
12 The Best Is Yet to Come
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