The Art of Tea

The Art of Tea was recorded between May 22 and June 9, 1975 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood and produced by Tommy LiPuma (Reprise MS 2230). Al Schmitt recorded and mixed it with Bruce Botnick and Lee Herschberg, Doug Sax mastered it at The Mastering Lab and Nick DeCaro arranged strings. Joe Sample played keyboards, Larry Carlton guitars, Wilton Felder bass, John Guerin and Steve Gadd drums, Jerry Steinholtz congas, Larry Bunker vibraphone, David Sanborn alto saxophone and Michael Brecker tenor saxophone. Wikipedia dates it 1975 in one place and 1976 in another, and SecondHandSongs gives February 1976.

It reached 131 on the Billboard 200 and went gold in Australia. The only single was "Popsicle Toes" (3:30, with "I Don't Know Why I'm So Happy I'm Sad" on the B-side), later covered by The Manhattan Transfer in 1976 and Diana Krall in 1999. AllMusic gave the album 3.5 stars, and In Sheep's Clothing Hi-Fi called it the quintessential dinner soundtrack. Franks said the sessions helped to crystallize his sound and called the project with Sample, Felder and Carlton a most auspicious beginning. Copper wrote that his lyrical style was established here.