Stuff

　　by Alex HendersonStuff never won the respect of bop snobs, but that isn't what they were going for. The band's specialty was an accessible, groove-oriented blend of jazz, R&B, and pop, and not everyone who bought their records was a jazz expert. Though some of Stuff's fans knew a lot about jazz, others were Average White Band or Chaka Khan fans who bought the occasional Grover Washington, Jr. album. Stuff's LPs weren't amazing, but they were generally likable. That is the case with this self-titled debut album, which was produced by Herb Lovelle and Tommy LiPuma and earned the band a loyal following in 1976. While congenial tunes like "Reflections of Divine Love" and "Foots" aren't breathtaking, they're pleasant and easy to like. Guitarist Eric Gale, drummer Steve Gadd, and other Stuff members were capable of a lot more. Nonetheless, the band's recording career was off to a decent, if unremarkable, start with this 1976 LP.