Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford – one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s – all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full – put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial – and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone – and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". CD

An all star line-up with Melvin Sparks on guitar, Gloria Coleman on organ, Dr John on piano, Wilbur Bascomb on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums, plus a horn section with Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Lou Marini, and Howard Johnson. CD

A sweet soulful stepper from the mighty Hank Crawford – a set that's got a bit of the bluesy lines promised by the title, but which also has some snappier soul jazz modes played by a larger ensemble! Hank plays a bit of piano, in addition to his trademark alto sax – and the set's got a style that bridges his roots with Ray Charles and some of the cooler, groovier modes of Atlantic Records jazz in the 60s. Other players include Wendell Harrison on reeds, and Sonny Forriest on guitar – and titles include the originals "Mr Blues", "Smoky City", "Hush Puppies", and "The Turfer" – plus versions of "Danger Zone", "Route 66", and "Lonely Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

With Melvin Sparks on guitar, Stan Hope on piano, Peter Martin Weiss on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. CD

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Jimmy McGriff on organ with George Benson, Wayne Boyd, Cornell Dupree, Vance James, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Ponder, Billy Preston & Bernard Purdie. CD

Hank Crawford on alto sax, Jimmy McGriff on Hammond organ, Wayne Boyd on guitar & Bernard Purdie on drums. CD

After Hours is the time when Crawford really hits his stride – playing lean and mellow in that easy soulful way that always seemed to work better than any of his other approaches to jazz. This album's got him blowing alto and even playing a bit of piano, in middle-sized groups that include players like Wendell Harrison, Joe Dukes, Sonny Forriest, and Willie Jones. These lesser-known soul jazz players do a pretty darn nice job of setting the mood, and Hank's comfortable approach puts everyone at ease. Tracks include "Soul Shoutin", "After Hours", "Junction", and "Next Time You See Me". CD

Four full albums – More Soul, From The Heart, Soul Of The Ballad, and Dig These Blues. CD

Not really a symphony, but a great album that features the soulful alto sax of Hank Crawford blowing over some rich larger backings from David Matthews – all with a sweetly funky Kudu sound! The style's a bit more polished than some of the other Kudu sessions of the time – almost a bit disco or clubby at times – as Matthews brings in a fair bit of strings and horns to the backings, and also has some female backing singers sweetening up the sound. But as usual with Kudu, the record's no cheap cash-in sort of set – and Matthews ensures that it's got a tightly-crafted groove that's almost like mainstream 70s soundtrack funk at its best moments. Keyboards are by Richard Tee and Leon Pendarvis – and titles include "Sugar Free", "I Hear A Symphony", "The Stripper", "Hang It On The Ceiling", and "Love Won't Let Me Wait". LP, Vinyl record album

(Funky 45's, Jazz) 7-inch, Vinyl record

With Dr John on organ, Calvin Newborn on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums – and Hank even plays a bit of electric piano too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most highly-regarded albums of Hank Crawford's 60s run on Atlantic Records – a set when everything seems to come together just right – and provide an even better showcase than usual for Hank's soulful lines on alto sax! The set also features tenor from David Newman – easily a perfect companion to Crawford for the record – and the rhythms have a nicely laidback, easygoing vibe – almost more Prestige Records soul jazz than the usual Atlantic style of the time. The set's got some warm mellow instrumental versions of blues classics, plus a few originals like "Lorelei's Lament", "Blue Stone", and "Playmates". LP, Vinyl record album

Hank Crawford takes a decidedly mellower approach on this set – working with warm and wonderful arrangements by Marty Paich, in a series of soulful readings of familiar ballads and love songs – all of which come out in a dreamy late night mode! There's still a fair bit of Ray Charles soul in the set overall – no surprise, considering Hank's roots in Charles band – and it's almost a Charles-like sound that Paich seems to be conjuring for the set – slightly bluesy undercurrents, which offer Hank some great space to voice his own solos on the alto sax. Titles include "Sweet Slumber", "Blueberry Hill", "Stormy Weather", "Any Time", "Whispering Grass", and "Have A Good Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little collaboration between saxophonist Hank Crawford and guitarist Calvin Newborn – a record that turns out to be one of the best from both players for the time! Crawford's managed to shake off some of the hoke of his earlier records – and although his sound here isn't earth-shattering, it's a lot fresher than it might be – with a laidback use of the alto that's augmented by some especially nice Fender Rhodes, as part of Hank's growing talents on the keyboard. Crawford also arranged and produced, but Newborn still gets in plenty of space too – using some bluesier licks to bring in an earthier tone, while still also staying in the smoother feel of the record. Titles include a remake of "Breezin", plus "Centerpiece", "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You", "I Can't Stand It", "I Had A Dream", and "Frame For The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

After Hours is the time when Crawford really hits his stride – playing lean and mellow in that easy soulful way that always seemed to work better than any of his other approaches to jazz. This album's got him blowing alto and even playing a bit of piano, in middle-sized groups that include players like Wendell Harrison, Joe Dukes, Sonny Forriest, and Willie Jones. These lesser-known soul jazz players do a pretty darn nice job of setting the mood, and Hank's comfortable approach puts everyone at ease. Tracks include "Soul Shoutin", "After Hours", "Junction", and "Next Time You See Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Hank kicks back and blows soulfully – working in a variety of groups with hip players that include Wendell Harrison, Ali Mohammed, Wilbur Brown, and Leroy Cooper. The overall sound is similar to Crawford's other work on Atlantic – nothing too challenging, but in a soulful mode that's always pretty tight. Titles include "New Blues", "Hollywood Blues", "These Tears", "HC Blues", and "The Crazy Saloon". LP, Vinyl record album

Hank Crawford turns his back on the cover of this sweet little set from Kudu – but the groove itself is very upfront, strongly in the best mix of funky jazz and club the label had going down into the late 70s! Arrangements are by David Matthews, who keeps things lean and mean, even when the instrumentation is fairly large – and Hank's nicely burning alto is firmly in the lead, blown with a sound that echoes back to older soul jazz modes of the 60s, but which has some smoother touches overall for the 70s. The album's got plenty of keyboards from Richard Tee, plus trombone solos from Fred Wesley, flute from Jeremy Steig, and guitar from Eric Gale – plus backing vocals on some of the cuts. Titles include "Funky Pigeon", "Midnight Over Memphis", "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", "Canadian Sunset", and "I Can't Stop Loving You". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really a symphony, but a great album that features the soulful alto sax of Hank Crawford blowing over some rich larger backings from David Matthews – all with a sweetly funky Kudu sound! The style's a bit more polished than some of the other Kudu sessions of the time – almost a bit disco or clubby at times – as Matthews brings in a fair bit of strings and horns to the backings, and also has some female backing singers sweetening up the sound. But as usual with Kudu, the record's no cheap cash-in sort of set – and Matthews ensures that it's got a tightly-crafted groove that's almost like mainstream 70s soundtrack funk at its best moments. Keyboards are by Richard Tee and Leon Pendarvis – and titles include "Sugar Free", "I Hear A Symphony", "The Stripper", "Hang It On The Ceiling", and "Love Won't Let Me Wait". CD

With Dr John on piano and organ, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Wilbur Bascomb on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, Martin Banks and Danny Moore on trumpets, David Fathead Newman on tenor, and Howard Johnson on baritone. LP, Vinyl record album

Early CTI/Kudu material from alto legend Hank Crawford – part of a strong 70s run that helped him find a whole new audience for his soulful sound! Crawford got his start with Ray Charles, and cut some classic albums for Atlantic in the 60s – but during the 70s, his sound really warmed up a lot with the right electric touches – providing a flow in the backdrops while Hank too off on tight, well-blown solos – almost the alto sax equivalent to what the tenor of Stanley Turrentine was crafting at the time. Arrangements here are by Don Sebesky and Bob James – sometimes a bit funky, sometimes laidback – and other musicians include James on Rhodes and George Benson on guitar. Titles include a great funky take on "Alone Again Naturally" – plus "We Got A Good Thing Going", "I Don't Know", "A Little Tear", and "Down To Earth". CD

Teddy Edwards at the height of his powers – packing a tight, soulful punch that made him one of the most popular players on the west coast in the early 60s – and a great link between earlier R&B tenorists and the leaner sound of 60s jazz! Edwards has a nice gutbuckety tone at times – the qualities you might hear from Hank Crawford or David Newman in the way they blended their sounds – but the overall feel is leaner and cleaner, too – not many cliches, and a kind of straightforward sound that really shows the new inroads that the LA soul jazz scene was making at the time. The set features a shifting lineup – piano from Amos Trice, Joe Castro, and Ronnie Ball – bass from Leroy Vinnegar and Ben Tucker – and drums from Al Levitt and Billy Higgins – on titles that include a whopping batch of originals like "Teddy's Tune", "Tempo De Blues", "Vintage '57", "Sunset Eyes", and "Takin Off". Plus, this CD's got some great notes, excellent packaging, and even includes 3 unreleased bonus cuts! CD

Music from Freddy Cole, Stanley Turrentine, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Ruth Brown, Merl Saunders & Friends, Charlie Byrd, Hank Crawford, Etta Jones, Sonny Rollins, and more – 28 songs in all. CD

Purdie follows up his first Soul To Jazz set – with a style and lineup that's even hipper than the first! This one was recorded in New York, and has a tighter, leaner feel overall. Purdie plays with jazz luminaries that include Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, Vincent Herring, Junior Mance, and Cornell Dupree – in a style that's a bit more stripped down than the first session. Includes versions of "New Orleans Strutt", "Mr Magic", "Jubilation", "Shaft", "Amen", and "Nobody Knows". CD

A dozen songs from David "Fathead" Newman, Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Hank Crawford, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Herbie Mann, Ornette Coleman, Mose Allison, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Yusef Lateef, and Charles Mingus. CD

One of the greatest albums by Victor Assis Brasil – a brilliant sax player who was one of Brazil's greatest jazz talents in the 70s! On this set, Victor really tightens things up from some of his spacier post-Coltrane albums of earlier years – crackling with a firey approach to the material, and hitting some great grooves on alto sax with a sharpness that we'd expect from American players like Lou Donaldson or Hank Crawford! Backing is a quartet with piano, vibes, bass, and drums – and the album includes the stellar triple tempo version of "Night and Day" that's forever made Victor a favorite with the jazz dance scene – plus the cuts "Nada Sera Como Antes", "Penedo", "O Cantador", and "Pedrinho". (Brazil, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual chapter of the Coleman Hawkins catalog – an album of easy-going ballads and late nite tracks, recorded with backings from arranger Frank Hunter – hence the title of the set! Hunter's using some lush strings on the set, but not in a way that gets in front of Hawkins' horn – and Coleman gets plenty of room to blow on the session, recorded here in a nice echoey mode that brings out the deepness of his tone even more than usual! Rhythm is by 2 different trios – one with Dick Hyman, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson; the other with Hank Jones, George Duvivier, and Jimmie Crawford – and tunes include "Easy Walker", "Traumerei", "Lazy Butterfly", "Pebbles", "Not Quite Right", "Whisper To Me", "Lonely Tenor", and "Hawk Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

With Hank Crawford on alto, Howard Johnson on baritone, Charlie Miller on trumpet, Larry Willis on piano, and Steve Nelson on vibes! Newman plays flute, sorpano, alto, and tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

Features Hank Crawford, Cyrus Chestnut, George Mraz, and others. (Vocalists, Jazz) CD

Soulful alto work from Charles Williams – a player who sounds a bit like Hank Crawford here, but a fair bit funkier! The format is loose and open, very much in the best soul jazz style used by the Mainstream label at the time – and Williams alto is set up alongside tenor from David Bubba Brooks, drums from Bill Curtis, bass from Gordon Edwards, guitar from Earl Dunbar, and organ from a young Don Pullen – sounding earthier here than on most of his later recordings! There's almost a Prestige Records feel to the album – a style of soul jazz that hearkens back to an earlier 60s mode, and which has the players rolling out nicely in very relaxed space together. Titles include the nice groover "Bacon Butt Fat", plus "Country Mile", "Catfish Samich", and "You Got Me Running". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled little set – as the collection is as cool as the sound of CTI Records back in the 70s! The unique package features an LP-sized cover – just like one of the CTI gatefold albums from back in the day – which contains 4 different CDs, each with a slightly different take on the sound of the legendary label! CD 1 is titled Straight Up – and features amazing 70s jazz from Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, George Benson, Randy Weston, Freddie Hubbard, and others. CD 2 is titled Deep Grooves/Big Hits – and features some killer numbers by Esther Phillips, Johnny Hammond, Freddie Hubbard, Deodato, Joe Farrell, and Hank Crawford. Next is CD 3, The Brazilian Connection – a beautiful demonstration of Creed Taylor's love of sounds from Rio and beyond – filled with great work from Airto, Paul Desmond, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Deodato. Last up is Cool & Classic – the 4th CD, with CTI-remade work by older players such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Kenny Burrell, and Jim Hall – all a perfect fit for the label's new sound of the 70s! The package also features an LP-sized booklet – filled with notes and rare images! (Funky Compilations, Jazz) CD

Includes 9 tracks by Sonny Rollins – plus a bonus sampler with 8 tracks by Joe Henderson, Flora Purim, Jim Hall, Hank Crawford, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Smith. CD

A rare one for Sonny Stitt – an album for Pacific Jazz recorded on the west coast, but done with some hard-burning organ work by Charles Kynard that easily matches any of Stitt's best soul jazz sides from the east! There's a tightly cooking feel to the entire set that's really great – a style that's slightly different than Sonny's work for Argo or Prestige, but which is equally great – thanks to fluid lines on Hammond from Kynard, and some great guitar from the under-rated Ray Crawford. The group's completed by Doug Sides on drums – and titles include "Blue Skies", "Sitt In Time", "Summer Special", "My Mother's Eyes", and "SOP Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

2 Argo Records gems from Ahmad Jamal – back to back on a single CD! Happy Moods is a sprightly set from the Ahmad Jamal Trio – but also a record that's not as brightly colored as you might guess from the title, thanks to a nice undercurrent of darkness in the mix! Jamal's piano work is often nicely punctuated – perhaps living up to the "happy moods" promised on the cover – but the bass work of Israel Crosby and drums by Vernell Fournier are a lot more subtle – magical element that really makes the record sparkle with that unique Jamal-like approach to rhythm. Titles include "For All We Know", "Excerpt From The Blues", "Little Old Lady", "Pavanne", "Time On My Hands", "Raincheck", and "Rhumba No 2". Listen To The Ahmad Jamal Quintet is a nicely expanded take on the Ahmad Jamal sound of the early 60s – one that adds in guitar from Ray Crawford and violin from Joe Kennedy to Jamal's usual trio grooving! The main focus here is often still on the core group – which features Israel Crosby on bass and Vernell Fournier on drums – but the added elements are used sparely to bring in new colors to the tunes, with Kennedy bowing violin lines on most of side one, and Crawford hitting some of his great single-note lines on most of side two. Titles include "Ahmad's Waltz", "Valentina", "Tempo For Two", "Yesterdays", and "Baia". CD