Hank Crawford - Hank Crawford's Back (1976)

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. © Dusty Groove, Inc. 

Kudu Records, KU-33 S1, 1976
Recorded at Mediasound in New York 

Personnel:
Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone
Fred Wesley - Trombone [Solos]
Jeremy Steig - Flute [Solos]
Richard Tee - Electric Piano [Solos]
Eric Gale - Guitar [Solos]
Gary King - Bass (#A1-A3)
Anthony Jackson - Bass (#B1,B2)
Andy Newmark - Drums (#A1-A3)
Steve Gadd - Drums (#B1,B2)
Nicky Marrero - Percussion
Frank Floyd, Ray Simpson, Zachary Sanders - Backing Vocals
David Matthews - Arranger 

Tracks:
A1. Funky Pigeon {David Matthews} (6:07)
A2. I Can't Stop Loving You {Don Gibson} (3:07)
A3. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine {Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff} (6:47)
B1. Canadian Sunset {Eddie Heywood, Norman Gimbel} (6:11)
B2. Midnight Over Memphis {John Stubblefield} (11:23) 

Total Time: 33:35 

Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Engineer - Alan Varner, Alec Head, Joe Jorgensen
Engineer [Assistant] - Doug Epstein, Ramona Janquitto
Mixing & Mastering - Rudy van Gelder
Album Design - Rene Schumacher
Album Photography - Wendy Lombard 

Funky Pigeon

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

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