Cleveland Eaton - Half And Half LP [Be With Records]

Format: 140g LP.
CAT: BEWITH090LP

“Every tune on our records is what we call an A-side” – Cleveland Eaton, on Half And Half

Like the winged bull-man that dominates its outlandish sleeve, Cleveland Eaton’s Half And Half is a mutant, bass-heavy monster that slays without mercy. Unbelievable 1973 jazz-funk that has largely gone under the radar for decades – unfairly, it has to be said. This is sensational music: a holy grail for record hunters. Super-funk from start to finish, multi-layered, with jazz breaks galore, brimming with style and raw class. This is the first reissue of a record that’s been hard-to-find for years; more than deserved. Joyous music for mind, soul, and body.

Cleveland Eaton was a revered bassist who accompanied figures such as Count Basie, Donald Byrd’s quintet, Ramsey Lewis’s trio, Terry Callier and Minnie Riperton, among many others. Half And Half was his first album under his own name, originally released independently on his – curiously named – Cle An Thair Records label. It was then distributed by Gamble & Huff via Gamble Records. Varied, with string arrangements and absurdly funky grooves, it is simply exceptional.

Whilst Half And Half is treasured for its brilliant versions of soul-funk classics, Eaton also proves himself to be an imaginative composer in his own right. Indeed, the album opens with a surprising original piece: Keep It Funky, a fusion of jazz-funk with relaxed and earthy guitar. And that’s what Cleveland and company do. Next, a truly moving version of Aretha Franklin’s timeless Day Dreaming. The combination of flute and guitar here reaches celestial greatness. Here Comes Funky Lou leans on a divine bass line, and a forceful soul-jazz groove allows the piece to soar in multiple directions: serene guitar soul for a moment, chaotic violin delusions the next, courtesy of Ed Green, who played with Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane.

The smashing closing of this A-side comes with two versions of The Stylistics that will blow your mind, and are surely the reason you came here. And rightly so. Betcha By Golly Wow, which uses a base of acid synthesizers and harmonica to create a unique atmosphere, is on another level. Melancholic, nostalgic, beautiful. People Make the World Go Round is so good, with its wonderful brass and perfect percussive breaks, that it could well be considered the definitive version. Seriously.

Opening side B, War’s monumental Slipping Into Darkness is adapted with surgical precision to Eaton’s funky, flute-driven fusion arrangement, while the insistent Missing You is a swaggering, brass-laden take on the Luther Ingram track included on the Dilla and Ghostface-linked record, I’ve Been Here All The Time. The original John’s Groove, with squealing, enveloping guitars, has more fantastic brass and neck-breaking percussion, while The Love Gangster—written by Bill Wyman and Stephen Stills for their seminal Manassas LP—contains a powerful break with crisp drums to the fore and fuzz-filled guitars.

The album closes with two more Eaton-penned tracks. Lie, co-written with Johnny Guitar Watson, is a funky gem of strings and sharp guitars; and the festive and unchained Ah Movin’ On cleverly quotes Wade In The Water (which Eaton had recorded with Ramsey Lewis in 1966), integrating it into a new free jazz composition. A message to his old boss as a farewell?

We worked on this reissue for 3 and a half years, fully dedicated to achieving the best possible sound and perfect presentation. Half And Half is a must-have title for lovers of soulful jazz-funk. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman at Final Tweak. The cover art – mutant beast included – was restored at Be With HQ over months of meticulous work.