Front Seat (album) explained

Front Seat
Type:	Album
Artist:	Sadao Watanabe
Cover:	SadaoWatanabeFrontSeat.jpg
Released:	June 25, 1989
Recorded:	April—May1989^[1]
Studio:	Bill Schnee Studio (North Hollywood) Entourage Studios (North Hollywood) The Hop (Sherman Oaks) Le Gonks (West Hollywood) Westlake Studio (West Hollywood)
Genre:	Jazz
Length:	45:29
Label:	Elektra
Producer:	Robbie Buchanan George Duke Russell Ferrante
Prev Title:	Made in Coracao Toquinho
Prev Year:	1988
Next Title:	Sweet Deal
Next Year:	1991

Front Seat is a 1989 jazz album by the Japanese saxophonist Sadao Watanabe. The album features vocals by Patti Austin on two tracks, one of which, "Any Other Fool", reached number 6 during its 31 weeks on Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary chart.^[2]

Release and commercial performance

Front Seat was released on June 25, 1989.^[1] It spent 21 weeks on Billboard magazine's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart,^[3] where it reached number 8 in the issue dated March 3, 1990.^[4]

Critical reception

The editors of Billboard magazine selected "Only in My Mind", "Any Other Fool", "Front Seat", "Anga la Jua" and "Wild Flowers" as the album's "standout tracks".^[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Sadao Watanabe, except as noted.

1. "Sailing" - 5:55
2. "One More Time" - 4:59
3. "Only in My Mind" (with Patti Austin) (Watanabe, Jeff Pescetto) - 4:44
4. "Miles Apart" - 4:10
5. "Any Other Fool" (with Patti Austin) (Robbie Buchanan, Diane Warren) - 5:06
6. "On the Way" - 5:18
7. "Anga la Jua (Place in the Sun)" - 4:22
8. "Wild Flowers" - 3:22
9. "Front Seat" - 2:56
10. "Takin' Time" - 4:37

Personnel

• Sadao Watanabe – Alto saxophone (1, 2, 4–10), Sopranino saxophone (3)
• George Duke – arranger (1, 2), Yamaha TX816 (1, 2), Roland D-550 (1, 2), Synclavier (1, 2)
• Robbie Buchanan – arranger (3, 4, 5, 6, 10), keyboards (3, 4, 5, 6, 10), synthesizers (3, 4, 5, 6, 10)
• Russell Ferrante – arranger (7, 8, 9), keyboards (7, 8, 9)
• Oscar Castro-Neves – acoustic guitar (9)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1–6, 10)
• Jimmy Haslip – bass (7)
• Abraham Laboriel – bass (1, 2, 6)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass (3, 4, 5, 10)
• Alex Acuña – drums (7, 9), percussion (3–7, 9, 10)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 2)
• Jeff Porcaro – drums (3, 4, 5, 10)
• John Robinson – drums (6)
• Efrain Toro – percussion (7, 9)
• Carlos Vega – drums (1, 2)
• Patti Austin – lead vocals (3, 5), backing vocals (3, 5)
• Alex Brown – backing vocals (1)
• Carl Carwell – backing vocals (1)
• Syreeta Wright – backing vocals (1)

Production

• Sadao Watanabe – executive producer
• Robbie Buchanan – producer (3, 4, 5, 6, 10)
• George Duke – producer (1, 2)
• Russell Ferrante – producer (7, 8, 9)
• Erik Zobler – recording (1, 2), mixing (1, 2)
• Kevin Fisher – assistant engineer (1, 2)
• Debbie Johnson – assistant engineer (1, 2)
• Steve Holroyd – assistant engineer (1, 2)
• Dave Ridean – additional engineer (1, 2)
• Stephanie McCravey – production coordinator (1, 2)
• Jeff Balding – recording (3, 4, 5, 10), mixing (3, 4, 5, 6, 10)
• Ken Allandyce – assistant engineer (3, 4, 5, 10)
• Derrick Marcel – assistant engineer (3, 4, 5, 6, 10)
• Frank Wolf – recording (6)
• Wade Jaynce – assistant engineer (6)
• Bart Stevens – assistant engineer (6)
• David Hentschel – recording (7, 8, 9)
• Keith Blake – assistant engineer (7, 8, 9)
• Duane Seykora – assistant engineer (7, 8, 9)
• Marylata Elton – production coordinator (7, 8, 9)
• Miki Cannon – production coordinator
• Kyle Davis – production coordinator
• Hiroshi Makishima – production coordinator
• Riki Ninomiya – production coordinator
• Akihiko Sato – production coordinator
• Akio Ohno – photography
• Yoshihiko Matsubara – artwork design

External links

• Sadao Watanabe at discogs.com
• [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p7778|pure_url=yes}} Sadao Watanabe @ Allmusic]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Front Seat – Sadao Watanabe . sadao.com . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241106015556/https://www.sadao.com/en/discography/052-front-seat-sadao-watanabe-2/. November 6, 2024.
2. .
3. Top Contemporary Jazz Albums . . April 28, 1990 . 102 . 17 . 42 . 0006-2510 . November 7, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241107010359/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1990/1990-04-28-Billboard-Page-0042.pdf#search=%22front%20seat%20sadao%22 . November 7, 2024.
4. Top Contemporary Jazz Albums . . March 3, 1990 . 102 . 9 . 60 . 0006-2510 . November 7, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241107030627/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-03-03.pdf . November 7, 2024.
5. Album Reviews > Jazz > Recommended > Sadao Watanabe – Front Seat . . October 28, 1989 . 101 . 43 . 100 . 0006-2510 . November 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109145855/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1989/1989-10-28-Billboard-Page-0112.pdf#search=%22front%20seat%20sadao%22 . November 9, 2024.