Album Liner Notes
Home In The Country
Home In The Country is more than a stray sideman credit. It is Pee Wee Ellis stepping out with his first solo album after years of shaping other people's records, and Jeff Berlin is part of the core band sound rather than a cameo.
Overview
The interesting part of this record is where it lands in Pee Wee Ellis's story. Wikipedia places Ellis as a major architect of James Brown's funk language and later a CTI and Kudu arranger; Home In The Country is the moment where that background turns into a front-of-the-cover Pee Wee Ellis album.
Jeff's contribution is substantial. Discogs credits him on five tracks, while Anthony Jackson and Gordon Edwards handle the other two, so the record lets you hear Berlin inside a larger New York studio ecosystem without pretending he is the only bassist defining the date.
That is what makes the album worth writing about. It is not generic fusion wallpaper. It is a bandleader record built from top-shelf players, with Ellis moving between funk discipline, jazz color, vocals, horns, and guest features, and Jeff right in the middle of that mix.
Quick Snapshot
- Discogs lists the album as a 1977 Savoy Records release in jazz-funk and fusion territory, with four known vinyl versions including a 1978 Spanish pressing.
- Jeff Berlin plays on five of the seven tracks: 'Nature Boy,' 'Big Daddy,' 'Kiss And Say Goodbye,' 'This Is Just A Warning!,' and 'Pistachio.'
- The personnel map is serious: Idris Muhammad, Bernard Purdie, Roland Hanna, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, George Benson, Leon Thomas, and Dave Liebman all appear on the session.
Pee Wee's first solo statement
Wikipedia's discography identifies Home In The Country as Ellis's first solo album, which gives the session more weight than a routine catalog entry.
Jeff is on most of the album
Discogs credits Berlin on five of seven tracks, making this a real working contribution, not a one-song guest spot.
A killer session cast
The lineup pulls from elite 1970s jazz, funk, and studio circles: Idris Muhammad, Bernard Purdie, Roland Hanna, Eric Gale, George Benson, and Dave Liebman.
Listen For
Nature Boy
Jeff opens the album with Idris Muhammad, Roland Hanna, and John Scholle behind Ellis, which immediately gives the record a more spacious, jazz-forward frame than a simple funk-blower date.
Big Daddy
This is one of the densest ensemble cuts Jeff plays on, with Bernard Purdie, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Barry Rogers, John Gatchell, Charlotte Crossley, and Leon Thomas all in the picture.
Pistachio
The closer is a good reminder that Ellis was building a broader palette: Jeff's bass sits under a track that also brings in Dave Liebman and vocalist Eleana Sternberg.
Track Listing
- 1. Nature Boy — 6:53
- 2. Big Daddy — 5:20
- 3. Gotcha! — 6:15
- 4. Kiss And Say Goodbye — 3:59
- 5. Fort Apache — 5:37
- 6. This Is Just A Warning! — 6:26
- 7. Pistachio — 4:27
Musicians
- Pee Wee Ellis: saxophone, clavinet, synthesizer, electric piano, organ, bell lyre, percussion, arrangements, conductor
- Jeff Berlin: bass on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7
- Anthony Jackson: bass on track 3
- Gordon Edwards: bass on track 5
- Idris Muhammad: drums on tracks 1, 6, and 7
- Bernard Purdie: drums on tracks 2, 3, and 5
- Jim Strassburg: drums and percussion
- Roland Hanna: electric piano on tracks 1, 4, 6, and 7
- Ernie Hayes: electric piano on tracks 2 and 5
- Jon Sholle: guitar on tracks 1, 4, 6, and 7
- Cornell Dupree: guitar on tracks 2 and 5
- Eric Gale: guitar on track 2 and guitar solo on track 5
- Charlie Brown: guitar on tracks 3 and 4
- George Benson: guitar solo on track 3
- Barry Rogers: trombone on tracks 2 and 4
- John Gatchell: trumpet on tracks 2 and 4
- Waymon Reed: trumpet on track 6
- David Liebman: saxophone on track 7
- Jumma Santos: congas and percussion
- Ray Mantilla: shaker on track 2 and percussion on track 4
- Babatunde Olatunji: congas on track 3
- Charlotte Crossley: vocals on tracks 2 and 6
- Leon Thomas: vocals on tracks 2 and 6
- Lani Groves: background vocals on tracks 2 to 4 and vocals on track 6
- Lilian Tynes: background vocals on tracks 2 to 4 and vocals on track 6
- Vivian Cherry: background vocals on tracks 3 and 4
- Dwain Jones: vocals on track 6
- Melanie Jordin: vocals on track 6
- Eleana Sternberg: vocals on track 7
Technical Credits
- Producer: Bob Porter
- Producer: Pee Wee Ellis
- Executive producer: Steve Backer
- Arranged by: Pee Wee Ellis
- Conductor: Pee Wee Ellis
- Engineer: Kevin Herron
- Engineer: Skip Juried
- Mixed by: Kevin Herron
- Recorded by: Skip Juried
- Mixed at The Hit Factory
- Recorded at Sound Exchange Studios
- Art direction: Robert Heimall
- Photography: Benno Friedman
- Typography: Hal Fiedler