How to Beat the High Cost of Living

Personnel: Earl Klugh (guitar); Hubert Laws (flute); Tim May, Mitch Holder (guitar); Mike Lang (keyboards); Steven Schaeffer (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).
Audio Remixer: Don Hahn.
Recording information: A&M Records, Hollywood, CA; Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA.
Director: Robert Scherrer.
After a series of low-quality commercial releases for Columbia, Hubert Laws came up with this surprisingly worthwhile album. Featured along with acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh, the flutist performed Patrick Williams' music for the film How to Beat the High Cost of Living, which starred Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin, and Jessica Lange. While the light comedy has been long forgotten and none of these ten selections caught on, the music is largely straight-ahead, with some strong melodies, and finds Laws and Klugh playing very well. They are backed by a six-piece rhythm section including keyboardist Michael Lang and both Tim May and Mitch Holder on guitars. This out of print LP (which probably will not get reissued on CD anytime soon) is well worth acquiring. ~ Scott Yanow