Reviews
2003 Best of Baltimore award for Stepping Around the Giant
Howard Mandel, Downbeat, July 1995
Recorded live at the Baltimore Museum of Art (in '94), Inner Harbor Suite represents the Ayler-Trane-Ra continuum as it thrives in an educated cultural community setting. Alto-sax composer Grubbs enlists tenorist Bob Gray and singer Maja Rios to co-front the rhythm organized around pianist Elmer Gibson. Real warmth and solid rhythmic values: be sure to check out the horns' tribute to the late Julium Hemphill.
Willard Jenkins, JazzTimes, Jan/Feb 1995
Several of you stalwarts out there will recall alto saxophonist Carl Grubbs from an early '70s ensemble he shared with his late tenor playing brother Earl: The Visitors out of Philly. Still other will recall the Coltrane familial connection--Grubbs is cousin to Trane's first wife, Naima. And if you're a resident of Baltimore you certaijnly know of Carl's steadfast work around town in maintaining jazz truth. Still others may remember him from the Julius Hemphill Sextet, particularly the one that performed Julius' epic sax opera Long Tongues.
All that history aside, Carl has crafted a work of considerable color and depth in his Inner Harbor Suite. Recorded live at Baltimore's Museum of Art, Carl is joined by a septet of Maryland-area musicians, including vocalist Maja Rios. Ms. Rios, who has a pleasnt enough voice, falters a bit in reading what turn out to be her own lyrics, often somewhat awkwardly crafted....
Richard B. Kamins, Cadence, June 1995
Hard to believe that, after being on the scene for almost three decades, this is Carl Grubbs' first solo release in twenty-three years. He and his brother Earl, who passed in 1989, recorded several LPs for Muse Records in the '70's. They were, perhaps, best known as the cousins of John Coltrane's first wife, Naima. Coltrane served as a mentor for both brothers and it is his sound that is celebrated throughout this recording.
"Saturn" opens the program with the feel of a McCoy Tyner composition. Elmer Gibson's strong piano chords serve as a springboard for the saxes of Grubbs and Bob Gray. The vocals of Maja Rios are featured on three tracks, the first of which is "Reaching For The Sun." The track is reminiscent of the Afro-Latin pieces of Gary Bartz with lyrics that would not be out of place in a Return to Forever song. It took me several listenings to get into "Glad To Be Sad", which has the nicest feel for such sad lyrics (She loves him but he does not care for her anymore.)....
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