Hank's blowing it in that stock soulful style he used with Ray Charles – over slightly larger arrangements that feature players like Wendell Harrison, David Newman, Melvin Latiste, and Carl Lynch. Jack McDuff plays piano on "In The Heat Of The Night", and other tracks include "Glue Fingers", "Jimmy Mack", "Double Cross", and "Mud Island Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Hank Crawford's first big records of the 70s – a really great set that helps him shake off some of his stock modes of the 60s and find a very different groove! A big part of the album is arranger Don Sebesky, who gives Hank a backdrop that's sophisticated and smooth, yet still pretty soulful in all the right places – a style that's almost a bit like mainstream soundtrack work of the time, but a bit more jazz focused overall. Hank's solos are right out front on most tracks – blown with that nicely pinched tone that made him a standout back in the day – and other players include Richard Tee on both organ and piano, as well as Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums. Titles include "Uncle Funky", "Imagine", "The Sun Died", "Brian's Song", and "Ham", which was arranged by Pee Wee Ellis. LP, Vinyl record album

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

A sweet bit of electric funk, and one of Hank Crawford's greatest records from the 70s – thanks in large part to the great Bob James – who arranged and produced the record with a mighty soulful vibe – leaving Hank lots of room to solo on his own over the top! The groove is really great – and the record gets surprisingly chunky in parts – with heavier rhythms than you might expect from a Crawford album from the time – not exactly the heavier funk of other CTI records, but with a definite taste of that style too. Arrangements are fairly large, and feature keyboards from Richard Tee – plus backing vocals at a few spots – and titles include great versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl" and "Corazon", plus the tracks "Good Morning Heartache" and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

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". 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". 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 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

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

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

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

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A damn great little record – a small label indie side, but a set that had an unusually strong influence on vocal jazz in the 60s – really setting a new standard for the generation to come! Marv swings things with a hip, sophisticated style – shaking off some of the excesses of the Billy Eckstine generation, going for the leaner modes of the Frank Minion set – and coming up with some groovy tunes that really sparkle in his hands! Marvin plays piano and celeste, and the set also features organ from Charles Kynard and Groove Holmes, flute and tenor from Buddy Collette and Clifford Scott, trumpet from Carmell Jones, and guitar from Hank Crawford – about as hip a backing group as you could hope to pull from the LA scene! The set includes the killer "Big City" – penned and sung by Jenkins, but covered by plenty of others – plus "Chicago", "Small Town", "City Blues", "Visit Me Today", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco". 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

One of our favorite-ever albums from Esther Phillips – an album that really helped her transform her sound for the 70s! The approach here is a lot more jazzy than before – served up with a good dose of funk, thanks to arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis – fresh from his work with James Brown, but even more electrically-oriented here! The groove is great – and the album's one of the best Kudu sides from the early 70s – a perfect blend of soul, jazz, and funk – all wrapped up with a new level of sophistication that benefits all parties involved. Other players include Richard Tee on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, Airto on percussion, and Hank Crawford on alto sax. Titles include an incredible cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", plus "From A Whisper To A Scream", "Till My Back Ain't Got No Bone", "Your Love Is So Doggone Good", Scarred Knees", and "Baby, I'm For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

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 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

A sweet funky 80s set from trumpeter Donald Byrd – a record done after his 70s run at Blue Note with producer Larry Mizell, but in a groove that's equally great in its own sort of way! Isaac Hayes is the producer on the set, and also plays a lot of Fender Rhodes, plus piano, vibes, and percussion – in a sharp combo that has a mighty nice groove, and more keyboards from Chip Crawford too! There's some vocals on the record at times – thanks to the 125th Street group – and the whole thing has that same blend of soul, jazz, and funk as Donald's 70s records – but in an updated 80s mode. Tracks include the great mellow "I Love Your Love", plus "I Feel Like Loving You Today", "Butterfly", "Love Has Come Around", "Falling", and "I'll Always Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that has BB King teaming up with southern soul maestro Dave Crawford – an arranger/producer who helps BB find a whole new groove! Crawford's approach is wonderfully warm and soulful – almost a Hi Records sort of take on the music, which brings King's traditional blues into much fresher territory – an update of older Memphis modes, with a really great sound for the 70s. In addition to The Memphis Horns, there's also a bit of Philly help on the record too – thanks to Vince Montana's vibes, Norman Harris' guitar, Ron Kersey's keyboards, and Ronnie Baker's bass. Stevie Wonder makes a brief guest appearance on keyboards too – and titles include "Oh To Me", "Love", "Respect Yourself", "I Like To Live The Love", "Who Are You", "I Can't Leave", and "Thank You For Loving The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect pairing of Candi Staton and producer Dave Crawford – that key southern soul talent who helped Candi and a few select others really step into the American soul mainstream at the end of the 70s! Candi's still got all the deep roots in her vocals – including that incredible range that's continued to thrive in gospel in recent years – but Dave helps push things into a modern soul style that works equally well on Northern dancefloors as it would in the clubs down south. Arrangements are perfectly balanced – sophisticated and adult, but never too smooth or commercial – thanks mostly to Candi's wonderful handling of the lyrics. Titles include "Victim", "Yesterday Evening", "So Blue", "Honest I Do Love You", and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album