Stanley Turrentine with Milt Jackson - Cherry (1972) [+ Bonus]

This 1972 CTI date by Stanley Turrentine was his third for the label, and was produced by Creed Taylor with Rudy van Gelder at the board. Shockingly, Don Sebesky was not called in to arrange anything here. The band chosen to back up Turrentine's edgy, soulful tenor is a fine and diverse one, especially in the heyday of the fusion years: Milt Jackson on vibes, drummer Billy Cobham, pianist (electric of course) Bob James, Ron Carter on bass, and guitarist Cornell Dupree. 

The opener is Lee Morgan's "Speedball," played as a near straight-ahead hard bop barnburner, with a killer little vamp in the melody that is accented and filled by both Bags and James alternating bars. This is followed by a fine is not exceptional read of Johnny Mercer's "I'll Remember You," though Jackson's vibe solo that opens the tune and offers the lead into the melody is quite moving. Jackson's own "The Rev's" is a bluesed-out strut, with Turrentine, James, and Bags holding through the lead riffs before Turrentine digs deep into his soulful bag for a brilliant solo that runs over the bluesology of the old masters -- Dexter Gordon and Ben Webster most notably. But it is the last half of the album that holds the real beauty, with the title track framed by two Weldon Irvine Jr. classics, "Sister Sanctified" and "Introspective" as the closer. Irvine arranged his own tunes, and they are far more wondrous and strange than anything in the CTI catalog. "Sister Sanctified," a deep gospel with repetitive choruses and assertive lead lines, has James playing a gospel piano more reminiscent of Abdullah Ibrahim than himself. Cobham shoves the beat to the margin, double- and triple-timing in places while never leaving the pocket of the groove. Turrentine's solo, especially in the bridge, is phenomenal, guttural, and nearly squalling. "Introspective" is a loping post-bop blues. The long, intricate melody lines are perfectly suited to the complex sense of lyricism that is Turrentine's strength. The more general figures and accents are picked up by Jackson, and Cobham slips through and around the chances in a Latin-styled dance to hold the middle and bring in the blues feel. It's phenomenal and sends this session off on a high note. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide. 

CTI Records, CTI 6017, 1972
CBS Records, ZK 40936, 1988 

Recorded 17th, 18th & 24th May, 1972 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Stanley Turrentine - Tenor Saxophone
Milt Jackson - Vibraphone
Bob James - Piano, Electric Piano
Cornell Dupree - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Billy Cobham - Drums

Tracks:
1. Speedball {Lee Morgan} (6:40)
2. I Remember You {Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger} (5:10)
3. The Revs {Milt Jackson} (7:46)
4. Sister Sanctified {Weldon Irvine Jr.} (6:04)
5.. Cherry {Ray Gilbert, Don Redman} (5:10)
6. Introspective {Weldon Irvine Jr.} (7:00)
7. The More I See You {Harry Warren, Mack Gordon} (7:58) [Bonus Track] 

Total Time: 45:52 

Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Reissue Producer, Liner Notes - Didier C. Deutsch
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Mastering - Tim Geelan
Arranger - Weldon Irvine Jr. (#4,6)
Design [Album] - Bob Ciano
Photography [Cover] - Pete Turner

DR14

Sister Sanctified

Keiko Matsui - Whisper From The Mirror (2000)

Keiko Matsui is usually classified as a jazz musician, which tends to mean that she doesn't get very good reviews, since she is reviewed by jazz critics, while her music actually is best described as a hybrid consisting of equal parts pop, jazz, and new age. Matsui can be an impressive keyboard soloist at times, but her recordings consist of textured tracks that find her featured playing set within a soundscape characterized by synthesized drums and strings. Whisper From the Mirror, her 11th album, is typical of her work, consisting of a series of four- and five-minute instrumental pieces full of shimmering, sustained sounds that pillow Matsui's delicate single-note runs and stately chord patterns. Derek Nakamoto's arrangements are occasionally stirring, but never frantic, and usually they emphasize flow over rhythm, just as the keyboardist shows more interest in sustaining moods than demonstrating her chops, even when she concludes the album with a four-handed piano duet with Bob James. It may be time to think about re-classifying Keiko Matsui from "jazz" to "new age," or even just putting her in a classification by herself. In the meantime, Whisper From the Mirror is another in a series of enjoyable recordings. ~ by William Ruhlman, AMG. 

Countdown Records, 17796-2, 2000
Recorded at Bindu Studio, Santa Monica, California [Derek Nakamoto];
and Remidi Studio, New York (Piano & Shakuhachi) [Ken Freeman] 

Musicians:
Keiko Matsui - Piano
Kazu Matsui - Shakuhachi
Derek Nakamoto - Synthesizer and Programming, Arranger
Bob James - Piano (#11) 

Tracks:

01. Whisper From The Mirror (4:38)
02. Invisible Wing (5:11)
03. Tears Of The Ocean (5:29)
04. Between The Moons (5:29)
05. Beyond The Light (4:26)
06. Torches On The Earth (5:01)
07. Dimensions (4:23)
08. Sacanna, No Problem (4:21)
09. Midnight Stone (5:18)
10. See You There (4:20)
11. Ever After (5:43) 

All compositions by Keiko Matsui 

Total Time: 54:22 

Credits:
Producer - Keiko Matsui
Producer, Jacket Design, Photography - Kazu Matsui
Recording, Mixing & Programming Engineer - Derek Nakamoto
Recording Engineer - Ken Freeman [Remidi Studio]
Mixing Engineer - Craig Burbidge [Bindu Studio]
Mastering Engineer - Steve Hall [Future Disc]
Jacket Design - Misako Kitazawa [Amnet Design Factory] 

Ever After

Grover Washington, Jr. - All The King's Horses (1972) [vinyl]

Grover Washington, Jr.'s sophomore date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was released in late 1972. Like its predecessor Inner City Blues, this session was produced by the label boss himself and was arranged and conducted by Bob James. Assembled for the date were large horn and string sections. The former contained stalwart talents like Detroit's Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Ernie Royal. Other players on the session included what would become the heart of the CTI session crew: guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, bassists Ron Carter and Gordon Edwards (who only appears on the opening cut), drummer Idris Muhammad (though Billy Cobham is also here), and percussionists like Airto Moreira and Ralph MacDonald. The real star of course is the soloist. Washington's debut, Inner City Blues, had done surprisingly well - especially since it was a date originally intended for Hank Crawford who couldn't make the scene. This time out, both Taylor and James played to Washington's tremendous strengths as an emotional player whose melodic improvising referenced everything from Motown to Stax and Volt, from Ray Charles to early James Brown and the Fabulous Flames, to Donny Hathaway, who had an uncanny knack with current pop hits. James too was discovering his own strengths in this field as a pianist and really shines behind Washington on tracks like "Where Is the Love," (written by MacDonald, actually), and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." Washington was equally versed on both tenor and alto and possesses two very different tones on the horns. This gave James the opportunity to color the tunes with a rather startling array of colors, shades, and textures, making the two a wonderful team. Along with the aforementioned winners are the title track by Aretha Franklin with the slow, deep blue saxophone lines accompanied by hand percussion, a tight snare and hi-hat kit rhythm, and James ghostly chords on the Fender Rhodes. But the large backdrop of horns lends so much weight to the tune it almost breaks wide open. Then there's the gorgeous - and radical-re-envisioning of "Body and Soul," as a montage illustrated wonderfully by James impressionistic strings and woodwinds underneath Washington's bluesy take on the melody. The standard "Lover Man" is reintroduced here and includes a new interlude written by James. Washington's playing on the tune is actually reminiscent of Crawford's in feel (during his time with Ray Charles), but Washington also evokes Ben Webster in the chances he takes improvising on his solo. As if all this weren't adventurous enough, the set closes with "Love Song 1700," an adaptation from a song by classical composer Henry Purcell. Here is the genius of James at work. His love for Purcell and classical composition of this era shows up throughout his career, but the way he orchestrates strings and winds behind Washington - who could inject pure soul into even the dullest music of Lawrence Welk - is provocative, lovely, and haunting, even in its more overblown moments. When All the King's Horses was originally released, it wasn't received as well as Inner City Blues had been the previous year. In retrospect, however, this set has assumed its proper place in Washington's catalog: as one of his more ambitious and expertly performed sessions. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG.

Kudu Records, KU-07, 1972

Recorded 19^th May-June, 1972 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Grover Washington, Jr. - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone

Alan Rubin, Ernie Royal, Snooky Young, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre - Trombone

Brooks Tillotson, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Ray Alonge - French Horn

George Marge - Alto Saxophone, Flute, English Horn, Oboe, Recorder

Pepper Adams - Baritone Saxophone

Arthur Clarke - Baritone Saxophone, Flute

Bob James - Electric Piano, Harpsichord

Richard Tee - Organ

Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza, Eric Gale - Guitar (#A1-B1,B3)

Gene Bertoncini - Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Gordon Edwards - Bass (#A1)

Bernard Purdie - Drums

Billy Cobham - Drums (#A4,B2,B3)

Ralph MacDonald - Congas

Airto Moreira - Percussion

Strings:

Margaret Ross - Harp

Charles McCracken, George Ricci - Cello

Emanuel Vardi, Richard Dickler - Viola

Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff,
Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, John Pintaualle,
Max Ellen, Paul Gershman - Violin

Tracks:

A1. No Tears, In The End {Ralph MacDonald, William Salter} (3:49)

A2. All The King's Horses {Aretha Franklin} (3:48)

A3. Where Is The Love {Ralph MacDonald, William Salter} (5:07)

A4. Body And Soul [Montage] {Heyman, Sour, Eyton, Green} (3:02)

B1. Lean On Me {Bill Withers} (4:25)

B2. Lover Man {Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez}

      Interlude #2 {Bob James} (7:01)

B3. Love Song 1700 {Adapted ex Henry Purcell, Arr. Bob James} (4:51)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger, Conductor - Bob James

Design [Album] - Bob Ciano

Photography [Album] - Pete Turner

Grover Washington, Jr. - Inner City Blues (1971) [vinyl]

This 1971 date was Washington's first as a leader, after playing and recording with the small organ combos of Charles Earland and Johnny "Hammond" Smith. It's unheard-of for a jazz musician to make his debut complete with strings, horns, and vocal group, but Washington apparently got the opportunity when the backing tracks were in place for a Hank Crawford album and Crawford was out of the country. Stranger still, Washington is usually playing alto here rather than his customary soprano or tenor. It was an instrument he hadn't played in years, and the result of his horn switching is a compellingly original sound that's almost soprano-like. Despite the circumstances, Washington brings a lot of himself to this music, making personal statements of two contemporary Marvin Gaye songs, "Inner City Blues" and "Mercy, Mercy Me," and the standards "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Loves You, Porgy." He also puts together an effective combination of Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" and J.J. Johnson's "Theme from Man and Boy." Whether it's the tight combo of "Inner City Blues" or the full-blown orchestra with strings and backing vocals, this is soul jazz of the first rank. ~ Adam Rains.

Kudu Records, KU-03, 1971

Recorded September, 1971 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Grover Washington, Jr. - Alto & Tenor Saxophones

Thad Jones - Trumpet, French Horn

Eugene Young - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Wayne Andre - Trombone

Don Ashworth - Baritone Saxophone

Bob James - Electric Piano

Richard Tee - Organ

Eric Gale - Guitar

Don Ashworth, Ron Carter - Bass

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Airto Moreira - Percussion

Strings:

Alan Shulman, Anthony Sophos, Charles McCracken, Maurice Brown - Cello

Harry Katzman, Julius Brand, Julius Held, Leo Kahn, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman, Paul Winter, Raoul Poliakin - Violin

Vocals:

Hilda Harris, Maretha Stewart, Marilyn Jackson, Tasha Thomas

Tracks:

A1. Inner City Blues {Marvin Gaye} (7:10)

A2. Georgia On My Mind {Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell} (4:39)

A3. Mercy Mercy Me [The Ecology] {Marvin Gaye} (5:06)

B1. Ain't No Sunshine {Bill Withers} / Better Days {J.J. Johnson} (8:33)

B2. Until It's Time For You To Go {Buffy Sainte-Marie} (4:36)

B3. I Loves You Porgy {DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin} (5:06)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger, Conductor - Bob James

Design [Album] - Bob Ciano

Photography - Steve Salmieri

This is one of Grover Washington Jr.'s finest, yet funky, and complex works. Creed Taylor (a musical magician) had obviously been an inspiration as a producer. In Grover's later works, it shows. This one is so very soulfully deep, it is not to be missed for any Grover collector! ~ Beverly P, Amazon.

This is vintage Grover Washington in all his melodic genius and mellow tones. Grover's soulful style and creative riffs will entice new listeners to this genre as it continues to amaze and delight longtime jazz and soul fans since it's release in 1971. ~ Nora Rellihcs, Amazon

Stanley Turrentine - The Baddest Turrentine (1974)

A 4-track "best of compilation" from Stanley Turrentine’s hit years at CTI! If you know the man's tone, you know that he found a perfect home at CTI - where arrangements by the likes of Bob James or Eumir Deodato provided Stanley with a perfect foil for his warm exploratory blowing. The set list features Stan's great funky reading of Marvin Gaye's "Don’t Mess With Mr T", plus his classic reading of "Sugar" and the tracks "Speedball" and "Salt Song".

CTI Records, CTI 6048 S1, 1974

Recorded November, 1970 (#A1); July 1971 (#A2); May 1972 (#B1)

& June, 1973 (#B2) At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Stanley Turrentine, Randy Brecker, Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, Bob James, Eric Gale, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Milt Jackson, Cornell Dupree, Billy Cobham, Eumir Deodato, Freddie Hubbard, Lonnie Smith, George Benson ...

Tracks:

A1. Sugar {Stanley Turrentine} (10:03)

Released on: Sugar [CTI 6005]

A2. Salt Song {Milton Nascimento} (7:12)

Released on: Salt Song [CTI 6010]

B1. Speedball {Lee Morgan} (6:37)

Released on: Cherry [CTI 6017]

B2. Don't Mess With Mister T. {Marvin Gaye} (9:49)

Released on: Don't Mess With Mister T. [CTI 6030]

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Artwork - Bob Ciano

Photography - Alen MacWeeney

Hank Crawford - We Got A Good Thing Going (1972)

Of Hank Crawford's somewhat erratic output for Kudu during 1971-78, this is the album to get. The Don Sebesky arrangements for strings and an oversized rhythm section fit Crawford's soulful style well and the altoist performs consistently strong material that was also commercially successful. Of the nine numbers, Crawford is heard at his best on "Imagination," "The Christmas Song," "Alone Again (Naturally)" (the definitive version of that pop standard), "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" and "Winter Wonderland. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Kudu Records, KU-08, 1972

Columbia Records, ZK 40820, 1987

Recorded 21^st & 28^th September and 10^th October, 1972
At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone

Bob James - Electric Piano (#A4,A5,B3)

Richard Tee - Organ, Electric Piano

George Benson - Guitar

Cornell Dupree - Guitar (#A4,A5,B3,10,11)

Ron Carter - Bass

Gordon Edwards - Bass (#A1,B1)

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums

Phil Kraus - Bells, Vibraphone

Arthur Jenkins - Conga, Tambourine

Margaret Ross - Harp

Charles McCracken, George Ricci, George Ricci - Cello

Harold Coletta, Theodore Israel - Viola

Tracks:

A1. We Got A Good Thing Going {The Corporation} (5:59)

A2. Imagination {Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (3:10)

A3. Down To Earth {Avery Vandenberg, Ronald Miller, William O'Malley} (3:27)

A4. The Christmas Song {Mel Tormé} (3:43)

A5. Alone Again [Naturally] {Ray O'Sullivan} (3:35)

B1. I Don't Know {Bill Withers} (4:23)

B2. I'm Just A Lucky So And So {Duke Ellington} (6:55)

B3. Winter Wonderland {Dick Smith, Felix Bernard} (3:35)

B4. A Little Tear {Don Sebesky} (3:36)

Bonus Tracks CD:

10. Dirt Dobbler {Alfred Ellis} (3:35)

11. Betcha By Golly Wow {Thomas Bell, Linda Creed} (5:13)

12. This Is All I Ask {Gordon Jenkins} (3:44)

13. Jazz Bridge {Don Sebesky} 2:52)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger, Conductor - Don Sebesky

Conductor, Arranger [Strings] - Bob James (#A3,A5,B1,B2,B3)

Design - Bob Ciano

Photography - Mort Mace

Notes:

Liner Notes, Reissue Producer - Didier C. Deutsch

Digitally Remastering - Larry Keyes, 1987 (CBS Studios, NYC)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Feels So Good (1975)

The aptly titled and much-sampled Feels So Good represents the creative apex of Grover Washington, Jr.'s sublime electric funk sound. Its shimmering, soulful grooves refute the argument that smooth jazz is little more than mere ambience, combining expert playing and intricate songwriting to create music that is both compelling and comforting. Arranger Bob James is in top form here, creating the spacious, rich milieus that are his trademark, but regardless of the name above the title, bassist Louis Johnson is the real star of the show. His supple rhythms percolate like coffee, adding oomph to the bottom of highlights "Hydra" and "Knucklehead" while Washington's cream-and-sugar soprano sax solos soar over the top. ~ by Jason Ankeny, AMG.

Kudu Records, KU-24 S1, 1975

Recorded May & July, 1975 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Grover Washington Jr. - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones

John Frosk, Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, Bob Millikan - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Barry Rogers - Trombone

Alan Ralph, Dave Taylor - Bass Trombone

Sid Weinberg - Oboe, English Horn

Bob James - Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer

Eric Gale - Guitar

Gary King - Bass (#A1-A3)

Louis Johnson - Bass (#B1,B2)

Steve Gadd - Drums (#A1,A2)

Kenneth "Spider Webb" Rice - Drums (#B1,B2)

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Charles McCracken, Seymour Barab - Cello

Alfred Brown, Manny Vardi - Viola

Barry Finclair, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Guy Lumia,
Harry Lookofsky, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Raoul Poliakin - Violin

Tracks:

A1. The Sea Lion {Bob James} (5:57)

A2. Moonstreams {Grover Washington Jr.} (5:55)

A3. Knucklehead {Grover Washington Jr.} (7:59)

B1. It Feels So Good {Ralph MacDonald, William Salter} (8:19)

B2. Hydra {Grover Washington Jr.} (9:09)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger - Bob James

Photography - Alen MacWeeney

Art Direction & Design - Richard Mantel

Liner Note - Todd Barkan

Gabor Szabo - Rambler (1973) [vinyl>flac]

Although this LP is a CTI production, guitarist Gabor Szabo is well featured in a conventional quartet (without strings, horns or "sweetening") that also includes the electric piano of Mike Wofford, bassist Wolfgang Melz and drummer Bobby Morin; Bob James sits in on some cuts on keyboards. For what would be Szabo's last significant recording, the Hungarian guitarist performs an obscurity and five of bassist Melz's originals, including "Rambler," "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye" and "Reinhardt." Although the individual melodies are not that memorable (none caught on), Gabor Szabo's distinctive sound and logical improvisations make this an album worth searching for. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

CTI Records, CTI 6035, 1974

Recorded September, 1973 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Gabor Szabo - Guitar

Bob James - Piano, Organ, Synthesizer

Mike Wofford - Electric Piano

Wolfgang Melz - Bass

Bobby Morin - Drums

Unknown - Percussion

Tracks:

A1. Rambler {Wolfgang Melz} (5:25)

A2. So Hard To Say Goodbye {Wolfgang Melz} (4:42)

A3. New Love {Wolfgang Melz} (5:19)

B1. Reinhardt {Wolfgang Melz} (6:55)

B2. Help Me Build A Lifetime {Wolfgang Melz} (4:25)

A3. All Is Well {Robert Lam} (6:21)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Musical Supervision - Bob James

Cover Photograph - Pete Turner

Liner Photograph - Charles Stewart

Album Design - Bob Ciano

George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road (1969) [vinyl>flac,24b/48k]

A wonderfully wicked album – one that sold so many copies that it's sometimes hard to remember how great it is! George takes on all of Abbey Road – or just about all of it – as he runs through some of the most beautiful tracks The Beatles ever wrote, like "Golden Slumbers", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "The End", "Because", and "You Never Give Me Your Money". The whole thing's set to some great baroque jazzy arrangements by Don Sebesky, and George digs the whole thing so much that he even sings a bit – vocalizing in a cool chromatic way that really works well with his guitar playing, and which would soon transform into a very popular style on his records of the 70s. Keyboards are by Bob James and Herbie Hancock – and there's plenty of other great jazz players in the mix! © Dusty Groove, Inc.

A&M Records, SP-3028, 1970

Recorded 22^nd,23^rd October and 4^th,5^th November, 1969
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

George Benson - Guitar

Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet

Bernie Glow, Marvin Stamm, Mel Davis - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Wayne Andre - Trombone, Euphonium

Sonny Fortune - Alto Saxophone

Jerome Richardson - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute

Don Ashworth - Baritone Saxophone

Hubert Laws - Flute

Phil Bodner - Flute, Oboe

Don Ashworth - Bass Clarinet

Bob James, Ernie Hayes, Herbie Hancock - Piano, Organ, Harpsichord

Jerry Jemmott, Ron Carter - Bass

George Ricci - Cello

Ed Shaughnessy, Idris Muhammad - Drums

Andy Gonzalez, Ray Barretto - Percussion

Max Pollikoff, Raoul Poliakin - Violin

Emanuel Vardi - Viola

Track Listing:

A1-A2. Golden Slumbers {Lennon, McCartney}/
You Never Give Me Your Money {Lennon, McCartney} (4:47)

A2. Because/Come Together {Lennon, McCartney} (7:27)

A4. Oh, Darling {Lennon, McCartney} (4:01)

B1-B2. Here Comes The Sun {George Harrison}/
I Want You [She So Heavy] {Lennon, McCartney} (9:04)

B3. Something {George Harrison}/
Octopus's Garden {Richard Starkey} (4:31)

B4. The End {Lennon, McCartney} (1:57)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger - Don Sebesky

Design [Album] - Sam Antupit

Photography - Eric Meola

Hank Crawford - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (1974) [vinyl>flac]

"Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" by Hank Crawford was released in 1974 on Kudu Records, a subsidiary of the CTI label. On this his fourth Kudu release, Crawford showcases three original compositions alongside two Stevie Wonder tunes; "Don’t You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and “All In Love Is Fair.” Bob James handles the string arrangements and also shares electric keyboards with Richard Tee. James' arrangements don't smother Hank but instead instill a light touch of classiness, perfectly blending Crawford’s rhythm & blues phrasing. Joining him on this date is quite an impressive array of soul-jazz and modern jazz performers, including Pepper Adams, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Joe Farrell, Jon Faddis, Bernard Purdie, and Hugh McCracken. As usual it is beautifully engineered by van Gelder; another significant slice of Hank’s discography to immerse even the most discerning jazz aficionado, Enjoy!

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". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

Kudu Records, KU 19 S1, 1974

Recorded June, 1974 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone

Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Pepper Adams, Romeo Penque - Baritone Saxophone

Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Dave Taylor - Bass Trombone

Bob James, Richard Tee - Keyboards

Hugh McCracken - Electric Guitar

Gary King - Bass (#A1-A3,B1)

Ron Carter - Bass (#B2)

Bernard Purdie - Drums (#A1,A3)

Idris Muhammad - Drums (#A2,B1,B2)

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Strings:

Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Alexander Cores, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green,
Matthew Raimondi, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, David Nadien - Violin

Charles McCracken, George Ricci - Cello

Al Brown, Manny Vardi - Viola

Track Listing:

A1. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing {Stevie Wonder} (8:49)

A2. Jana {Hank Crawford} (5:08)

A3. All In Love Is Fair {Stevie Wonder} (4:46)

B1. Sho Is Funky {Hank Crawford, Bob James} (12:41)

B2. Groove Junction {Hank Crawford} (3:32)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Arranger - Bob James

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design - Bob Ciano

Illustration - Pierre Le-Tan