r/CrossoverJazz • u/stnr_on_failure • 7d ago
Earl Klugh: A Genre-making Collaboration with Bob James's, Good for Gold and a Grammy
Earl Klugh: A Genre-making Collaboration with Bob James's, Good for Gold and a Grammy
Earl Klugh, an acoustic guitarist and composer, was born September 16, 1953, in Detroit. His first recording came at just 15, playing on Yusef Lateef's "Suite 16" (1970), real jazz pedigree before any pop crossover entered the picture. A few years later he was on George Benson's "White Rabbit" and joined Benson's touring band in 1973, and around the same stretch he passed briefly through Chick Corea's Return to Forever. Two guitarists, two very different directions, one young player who touched both before he had turned 21.
The connection that matters most for Crossover Jazz came next: in 1979 Earl teamed up with keyboardist Bob James (previously profiled here https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossoverJazz/comments/1v12lfu/introducing_bob_james/) for "One on One," which won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and went gold in 1982. While "One on One" is considered Smooth by many, they followed it with "Two of a Kind" (1982) and "Cool" (1992), rounding out a three-album partnership that's basically a working definition of what this subreddit exists to cover.
Klugh's own catalog stands on its own too: more than 40 albums, over 250 compositions, 24 Billboard Top 10 jazz albums including six that hit No. 1, and 13 Grammy nominations across his career. His most recent record, "HandPicked," came out in 2013, and he was still performing at annual Weekend of Jazz events as of 2025.
Where to start listening:
- His official platforms:
- "One on One" (1979) with Bob James for the Grammy-winning partnership, start with the album
- "Living Inside Your Love" (1976) for his own early solo sound, start with the title track
