Loran's Dance

Recorded and mixed at Ridge Sound Studio in Philadelphia for Grover Washington Jr.'s 1978 album Reed Seed, Loran's Dance featured Washington on overdubbed alto and tenor saxophones, John Blake Jr. on Fender Rhodes, Tyrone Brown on bass, Richard Steacker on guitar, Millard Vinson on drums and Leonard Doc Gibbs Jr. on percussion. Composed, arranged and produced by Washington, the recording was engineered by Nils Salminen with assistance from Rodney Perry and mastered by Rudy Van Gelder. Released on Motown Records in September 1978, Loran's Dance closed Reed Seed with a seven-minute instrumental arrangement built around a Spanish-influenced melody, layered saxophones and expressive electric piano. The recording demonstrated Washington's increasingly independent approach to production and arrangement during an album that reached number one on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart. Loran's Dance remains a notable composition in Grover Washington Jr.'s catalogue, with its atmospheric saxophone arrangements and melodic development attracting continued critical appreciation. The composition also appeared on Idris Muhammad's 1974 album Power of Soul, while Washington's 1978 recording has been preserved through reissues and digital editions of Reed Seed.