by Thom Jurek
Wishful Thinking was recorded in 1983 ands '84, just before Earl Klugh left Capitol Records for the greener pastures of Warner Brothers in 1985. What makes the album compelling-despite it's brief running time, clocking in a but over 36 minutes, is that it is a summation, really, of all the places Klugh had been as a player and composer. A self-produced effort, it showcases his wonderfully rhythmic, deeply melodic gift on an acoustic, nylon stringed guitar. From his earliest days with Blue Note almost a decade earlier, Klugh brought something truly different to the table. His sound was rooted in blues, but elegantly and sparely articulated. He brought a soul jazz approach to everything he touched, but wasn't afraid to allow classical music into his approach; he also looked toward the music of film score composer like Michel LeGrande and John Williams in, bringing out a certain kind and textured shade of emotion had always been the goal and it is on display here like a rainbow after a storm. There are small ensemble pieces, such as the title track with Eric Gale playing gorgeous fills to Klugh's enchanting melody. Then there's the calypso-flavored &Tropical Legs,& with bassist Lucio Hopper, and percussionist Sammy Figueroa bring in a solid yet breezy backbeat for Klugh, electric guitarist Carlos Rios and keyboardist Barry Eastmond to interact fluidly. &The Only One For Me,& adds the tell tale emotive sound of David Sanborn's alto saxophone into the mix and allows Eastmond's keyboards to create an atmospheric backdrop for Klugh's limpid funk melodic leads to wind around the rhythm section. But in many ways this only the beginning as Klugh engages his wider aspirations with orchestral arrangements complimenting his guitar playing, making for surprisingly lush works such as &All The Time,& which begins with a killer little reggae rhythm from Ronnie Foster's B3 and Charles Meeks' bass laying down against Paulinho DaCosrta's percussion work and a solid backbeat by James Bradley Jr. on drums. Phil Upchurch and Donald Griffin lend alternately rhythmic electric six string fills and soaring leads to the middle. But get this: the whole thing is texturally orchestrated with strings-including a harp-- arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel! Dave Matthews uses a larger group to accompany, texture and create dreamy soundscapes for &A Natural Thing,& where Klugh is the only other musician. Don Sebesky's orchestra backs a band that includes bassist Ron Carter, guitarist Joe Beck, Figueroa, and drummer Brian Brake for the most lilting and heartbreak lyric composition on the record. Fuinally Matthews returns backing Klugh's in a deceptive little workout called &Right Form The Start. What begins as an intimate, wispy little Spanish melody by Klugh's guitars with some backdropped strings explodes into a smoking Latin jazz big band workout. Wishful Thinking is a dizzying array of colors, textures, warmth and heat, that proves Klugh not only knows exactly what he wants, but how to bring the right people in to get it for him. This isn't merely the work of a guitarist, but a visionary who cares about pop, classical, jazz, blues, and funk equally and brings them to bear seemingly effortlessly. The weird thing? This is actually typical of his Capitol period.