Pleasure
couldn't have asked for a more appropriate producer when, in late 1976, it employed
Wayne Henderson
on
Joyous
. A band that frequently brought jazz overtones to its funk-soul foundation,
needed someone who held jazz and R&B in equally high regard -- and
Henderson
easily fit that description. The Texas trombonist first made a name for himself playing hard bop with
the Jazz Crusaders
, but as the 1970s progressed, he became increasingly R&B-friendly.
was exactly the sort of producer that
needed, and the band's appreciation of jazz comes through on the up-tempo funk numbers (which include
"Dance to the Music,"
"Let Me Be the One,"
and the title song) as well as the dreamy quiet storm gem
"Sassafras Girl."
brings this vinyl LP to an appealing close with a jazz-funk instrumental titled
"Selim,"
which isn't typical of
on the whole -- most of the tunes are vocal-oriented. This is a funk-soul record first and foremost, and it is also a classic that underscores
's risk-taking nature. ~ Alex Henderson