Eric Kloss, a talented high-powered altoist with an open mind toward funk and certain aspects of pop music, recorded a long series of fine albums for Prestige and Muse from the mid-'60s into the late '70s. Blind since birth, Kloss began playing professionally in Pittsburgh in the early '60s. He worked with Pat Martino in 1965, the same year he started recording as a 16-year-old for Prestige. Through the years, Kloss used such players on his records as Martino, organist Don Patterson, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, Jack DeJohnette, Booker Ervin, Chick Corea, and Barry Miles, in addition to collaborations with Richie Cole and duets with Gil Goldstein. But Eric Kloss seemed to disappear after his 1981 Omnisound album and has not been heard from by the jazz world in quite some time.
Eric Kloss - Sweet Connections, 1999 (live 1979)
Eric Kloss is one of many artists recorded live at E.J.'s in Atlanta before it ceased operations in 1982. Unlike typical guest artists performing there, Kloss doesn't simply play with a local house band; he is joined throughout both dates by pianist Gil Goldstein, with bassist Steve Tisher and drummer Terry Silverlight added on the last three selections. Kloss, who abruptly seemed to have ceased performing and recording without explanation during the 1980s, is in great form on these 1979 live sets. The duo leads off with "Sweet Connections," a furious original credited to both men. The saxophonist's lush ballads "Wrapped in a Cloud" and "The Sands of Time" are followed by a fairly straightforward interpretation of rocker James Taylor's "Places in My Past." Goldstein shows off a bit in a rollicking duet of the standard "Love Is Here to Stay," with Kloss adding a bit of a wry solo. Like other recordings made at E.J.'s and issued on its equally defunct namesake label, the piano sounds a bit muddy and distant, making one wonder if the musicians realized they were being recorded, though this rare opportunity to hear Eric Kloss in a live setting late in his career overcomes any sonic shortcomings. |
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