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 Crawford comes across here as much as a soul star as a jazz musician – as he sings on half the album's tracks, and delivers his trademark alto solos throughout! The album's got a similar vibe to some of Crawford's other CTI/Kudu material of the 70s – but the presence of vocals also brings about something new – especially as Hank's singing nice has a vibe that's maybe more raspy and down to earth than the smooth sound of his horn! Arrangements are by David Matthews, and other players include Fred Wesley on trombone, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Hiram Bullock on guitar, and Cliff Carter on keyboards. Titles include the strong instrumental cut "New York's One Soulful City" – plus "Just The Way You Are", "Daytime Friends", "Evergreen", "Cajun Sunrise", "What A Difference You've Made In My Life", and "I Don't Want No Happy Songs". 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

With Hank Crawford on alto sax and Jimmy McGriff on organ, plus Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Vance James on drums. CD

With Hank Crawford on alto, Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Benson on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums! CD

Given Hank Crawford's soulful legacy on the alto sax – one that already made him a star in Ray Charles group by the time of this LP – it would be hard to add More Soul to his bag – but that's what he's going for here, and we've gotta say that it works pretty darn well! The session's a small group one – with Hank's alto alongside tenor by David Newman, trumpet by Phillip Guilbeau, and baritone sax by Leroy "Hog" Cooper – and in addition to tenor, Hank also plays some piano on the set as well. The tunes have an easygoing soul jazz groove that makes the record feel more like a Prestige jazz session than an Atlantic one – and there's a nice variety to the record, which helps it get past some of the hoke on Hank's other sets from the time. Titles include "Boo's Tune", "Four Five Six", "The Story", "Sister Sadie", and "Dat Dere". 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". CD

Hank Crawford's always been a great saxophonist – but he's also one that sometimes works even more strongly in a bigger group setting – as you'll hear on this 70s Kudu session with funky arranger David Matthews! Dave takes the groove forward from the sound that Hank sometimes had back in the 60s on Atlantic – bringing in a bit more of an electric vibe, but also providing a nice larger ensemble kick – that soulful jazz mode that Crawford first explored with Ray Charles, where he learned to pack plenty into the space of a short solo! Titles include "Funky Rooster", "Tico Rico", "Lady Soul", "Lullaby Of Love", and "Lament". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

Hank Crawford slides into the electric 70s with this sweet little set of funky tracks – working in a tight small combo format with Richard Tee on electric piano and Cornell Dupree on electric guitar – and grooving in a laidback slinky funk mode that's perfect for his soulful tone on the alto sax! The groove ranges from mellow funk to gentle soul – and the album's title track is an excellent version of "It's A Funky Thing To Do", with Pee Wee Ellis joining the group on electric piano! Other tracks include "Hills Of Love", "You're The One", "Sophisticated Soul", "Kingsize Man", and "Parker's Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A cool cooker from altoist Hank Crawford – cut in a tightly-grooving ensemble mode that really reflects his roots with Ray Charles! The tunes are mostly short, but have a great sense of personality – a vibrant approach that comes not just from Hank's lead solos, but also from the group backing by players who include James Clay and Wilbur Brown on tenor, Charlie Patterson on trumpet, and Sonny Forriest on guitar. Hank plays a bit of piano at times, and both John Hunt and Phil Guilbeau get in some trumpet solos too – and titles include "Mellow Down", "Shake-A-Plenty", "Shooby", "Blues In Bloom", and "Skunky Green". 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". CD

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Danny Mixon on piano and organ, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ronnie Cuber on baritone saxophone, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Stanley Banks on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

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

Twin alto frenzy from the team of Richie Cole and Hank Crawford – a set that has lots of the sharp edges that you'd expect from Cole's 70s classics on Muse! Not all of the material is bossa – although there are a few nice samba-styled groovers – as other cuts have the boppish inflections that Cole's always been great at, which makes for a nice setting for Crawford to show off some of his own chops as well. Other players include Emily Remler on guitar, Marshall Hawkins on bass, and Victor Jones on drums – and the set's a live one, so most tracks are nice and long. Titles include "Bossa International", "Samba De Orpheus", "Snowfall", "Fantasy Blues", and "Confirmation". CD also features the bonus track "Cherokee". CD

Early 60s Atlantic sessions – with David 'Fathead' Newman on tenor sax, Leroy Cooper on baritone sax, Sonny Forrest on guitar, and others. CD

Given Hank Crawford's soulful legacy on the alto sax – one that already made him a star in Ray Charles group by the time of this LP – it would be hard to add More Soul to his bag – but that's what he's going for here, and we've gotta say that it works pretty darn well! The session's a small group one – with Hank's alto alongside tenor by David Newman, trumpet by Phillip Guilbeau, and baritone sax by Leroy "Hog" Cooper – and in addition to tenor, Hank also plays some piano on the set as well. The tunes have an easygoing soul jazz groove that makes the record feel more like a Prestige jazz session than an Atlantic one – and there's a nice variety to the record, which helps it get past some of the hoke on Hank's other sets from the time. Titles include "Boo's Tune", "Four Five Six", "The Story", "Sister Sadie", and "Dat Dere". CD

A classic live set from Ray Charles – one that equally showcases all the best sides of his sound in the mid 60s! The group's got a nice dose of jazz – which it shows right at the start – almost a mix of Basie swing and R&B, of the sort that Ray was sporting heavily in the late Atlantic years, but didn't always get to display in the countrified early years on ABC – and players include David Fathead Newman on tenor, Hank Crawford on alto, and Julian Priester on trombone – all horn players who really help the whole thing swing! Ray plays some great piano alongside his vocals – and tunes include rollicking versions of "I Got A Woman", "You Don't Know Me", "Makin' Whoopee", "Hallelujah I Love Her So", and "What'd I Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic setting for the tenor sax of Dutch jazz legend Hans Dulfer – a set that's every bit as soul-drenched as some of his early records, but in a very different way! Hans blows here in a quartet with guitar, organ, and drums – handled by Joop Scholten, Herbert Noord, and John Engels respectively – all with a style that's never slavish to American modes of the previous decade, and which instead moves the game forward in a mighty nice way! Part of the difference is the phrasing – more on the guitar and organ than on the tenor – as Dulfer comes across with some warm, round tones that would be right at home in the hands of Hank Crawford or David Newman – on titles that include "Carbow", "Meeting The Six", "A Home Is Not A House", and "The Troubleshooter". CD features two bonus alternate takes! CD

Includes 13 tracks by Johnny Hammond, Jeremy Steig, Lonnie Smith, George Benson, Hank Crawford, Paul Desmond, and the CTI All Stars. CD

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". CD

Features Hank Crawford, Cyrus Chestnut, George Mraz, and others. CD

Jimmy Witherspoon sings with some great help here – including David Fathead Newman on tenor, Hank Crawford on alto, Dr John on piano, Calvin Newborn on guitar, Wilbur Bascomb on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums. Dr John did the arrangements too! CD

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

Gentle magic from singer Jimmy Scott – one of our favorite of his comeback recordings of recent years! The album features tracks that Jimmy Recorded over sessions done in 2000 and 2001 – working with a host of great jazz players like Eric Alexander, Joe Beck, Hank Crawford, David Newman, Grady Tate, and Cyrus Chestnut – all of whom bring a warm and mellow feel to the set, allowing Jimmy some good space to breeze around in understated brilliance. Titles include "Yesterday", "Those Who Were", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Time On My Hands", and "If I Should Lose You". CD

Music from Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Eddie Harris, David "Fathead" Newman, Hank Crawford, Sonny Stitt, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Charles Lloyd. CD

A stoned-out batch of funky jazz tracks from the Atlantic catalog of the 60s and early 70s – 13 funky and trippy tunes that sound wonderful together! Some tracks are straight and funky, others have a bit of a goofy edge, and others have an expanded consciousness that fits well with the Head Jazz theme! Titles include "Equinox" by Hubert Laws, "Let's Gather" by Les McCann, "Silver Cycles" by Eddie Harris, "The Lovers" by Les McCann, "In A Little Spanish Town" by Yusef Lateef, "Lover's Lament" by Hank Crawford, "Island Cry" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "Catbird Seat" by Mitchell-Ruff Trio, "Soul Of A Village (part 2)" by Joe Zawinul, "Ramblin" by Ornette Coleman, "Day By Day" by Jimmy Scott, and "This Old Building" by Yusef Lateef. CD

Music by Gerry Mulligan, Hank Crawford, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Phil Woods, Benny Carter, Illinois Jacquet, and Lucky Thompson. CD

Stunning live material from the great Ray Charles – a 3CD set that brings together a wealth of stage performances from May of 1962, in setting that often lets us focus as much on Ray's incredible piano work as it does his trademark vocals! Charles' talents need no introduction from us, but they're in fantastic formation here – without some of the studio trappings that he was beginning to use in the 60s, and much more of the jazzy flourishes that he was using towards the end of his time at Atlantic Records – played here by a group that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Hank Crawford on alto, and David Fathead Newman on tenor. The package features 52 live tracks – including "Blue Stone", "The Danger Zone", "From The Heart", "Margie", "One Mint Julep", "Doodlin", "Careless Love", "Hit The Road Jack", and "I Believe To My Soul". Also features a few bonus studio cuts – including work with Louis Jordan! CD

A pair of late Atlantic live recordings by Ray – put together in a single 2LP 70s package! First up is Ray Charles At Newport – a great live album, with a definite jazzy feel – thanks to work from David Newman on tenor sax and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet! Titles include "The Right Time", "I Got A Woman", "Blues Waltz", "Hot Rod", "Sherry", and "Talkin Bout You". Ray Charles In Person features smoking work from David Newman on tenor and Hank Crawford on baritone – plus a bit of trumpet from Marcus Belgrave! Titles include "Frenesi", "Drown In My Own Tears", "Tell The Truth", "The Right Time", "What'd I Say", and "The Spirit Feel". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Features Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – plus David Fathead Newman and Hank Crawford on saxophone! CD

A pretty sweet set from reedman David Newman – a record that has him working with larger instrumental backdrops, in a mode that's almost like the sound going on with Stanley Turrentine over at CTI! William S. Fischer handled all the arrangements – so although things are tight, there's still a cool creative undercurrent too – way more than just standard orchestrations behind Newman's sweet solo lines on alto, tenor, and soprano sax. A few cuts have backing vocals – used in ways you might hear on a Hank Crawford album – and titles include "Shiki", "Promise Me Your Love", "Ebo Man", "Groovin To The Music", "I Love Music", and "Mashooganah". LP, Vinyl record album

Mod jazz and socking soul – a wicked little collection of 60s groovers, put together by the folks at London's 6T's Rhythm & Soul Society! The sound here is quite different than that of compilations by UK Northern Soul clubs and DJs – with an overall groove that's rougher, deeper, and more open to tracks from a variety of different genres. If we had to come up with our own tag, we'd almost call the sound here "early mod" – that keen British appreciation of all things American soul and R&B, but in the years before that love of the music had become too easily stereotyped. But whatever the genre, the set's a really great one – with a sweet Soul Cargo sort of groove that's presented with high fidelity and great notes on the club and its music! Titles include "Two Stupid Feet" by Chuck Jackson, "Zig Zag Lightning" by Little Johnny Taylor, "All About My Girl" by Jimmy McGriff, "Tell Me What You're Gonna Do" by James Brown, "Opportunity" by The Jewels, "Forget About Me" by Carolyn Crawford, "It's Me" by Johnny Copeland, "He's A Lover" by Tutti Hill, "Chica Boo" by Googie Rene Combo, and "The Hoochi Coochi Coo" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. CD

A well-done collection of grooves from the legendary CTI Records – home to some of the most important jazz funk of the 70s! The set does a good job of getting past the familiar hits from the label, and moves into territory that showed the complexity of the grooves being laid down – a depth that's sometimes overlooked, given the success of CTI. The nicely-priced set features 10 tracks in all – including "Hard To Face The Music" by Idris Muhammad, "September 13" by Deodato, "Canned Funk" by Joe Farrell, "Rock Steady" by Johnny Hammond, "I'm Not So Sure" by Milt Jackson, "Hurtin House" by Esther Phillips, "Sugar Free" by Hank Crawford, "Shoogie Wanna Boogie" by Dave Matthews, "I Remember Wes" by George Benson, and "Storm" by Stanley Turrentine. CD

Features smoking work from David Newman on tenor and Hank Crawford on baritone – plus a bit of trumpet from Marcus Belgrave! Titles include "Frenesi", "Drown In My Own Tears", "Tell The Truth", "The Right Time", "What'd I Say", and "The Spirit Feel". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing batch of soul, R&B, and funk from the Nashville scene – from an astonishing range of years, too! Of course the memorabilia industry that is "Music City USA" is dominated by country music and pop, and this long, long, LONG overdue collection of singles from 1945-1970 demonstrates how much more was going on in East Tennessee beyond Chet Atkins and the Opry! The tunes range from jump blues & soul of the late 40s and 50s, and on through the harmony soul of the 60s and the pre-funk late 60s. 38 tracks on two CDs: "Nashville Jumps" by Cecil Gant, "Just Walkin' In The Rain" by The Prisonaires, "Baby Let's Play House" by Arthur Gunter, "Christene" by Little Hank Crawford, "You Can Make It If You Try" by Gene Allison, "Somebody, Somewhere" by Larry Birdsong, "Monkey Doin' Woman" by Shy Guy Douglas, "What'd I Say" by Etta James, "Snap Your Fingers" by Joe Henderson, "I Want To" by Joe Tex, "The Chokin'" Kind" by Joe Simon, "Rediscover Me" by Johnny Adams and tons more! CD

A lost 80s groover from Bay Area soulster William "Fats" Gaines – stepping out here with vocalist Carol Zorina London! Fats recorded a number of albums around this time – but this album may well be his best – thanks to Zorina's great lead vocals, which really bring a strong focus to the set! Zorina burns beautifully on both the mellow and uptempo tunes – sparkling as a great little singer with a sound that's more 70s than it is 80s, and which brings in a nice degree of jazz, as you might hear on some of Randy Crawford's best work with The Crusaders. We really love the mellow tunes on the set – like "Woman In Love", "For Your Love", and "My Love Is Always" – but the album's also got some uptempo groovers that include "Born To Dance", "Sweet Freak", and "I Just Want To Freak With You". 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". CD

The debut album from Vesta Williams, a singer with a hell of a voice on the right numbers – maybe a lot more range than some of her 80s soul contemporaries! The vibe here is maybe best on the mellower numbers, which really let Vesta stretch out – but there's a nicely unified vibe to the set, thanks to work work from Bryan Loren, who co-produced most of the tracks with Billy Valentine – and also plays much of the instrumentation behind the vocals. David Crawford also helped out on some of the record, and titles include "Don't Blow A Good Thing", "Sweet Thang", "Get Out Of My Life", "I Can Make Your Dreams Come True", "Something About You", "Don't Let Me Down", "It's You", and "You Make Me Want To Love Again". CD

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

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". CD

Two early 70s burners from BB King – back to back as a 2CD set! LA Midnight has BB King bringing in a sweet dose of jazz to his work – just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time – maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". To Know You is 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". CD

Two early 70s burners from BB King – back to back as a 2CD set! LA Midnight has BB King bringing in a sweet dose of jazz to his work – just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time – maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". To Know You is 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". CD

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