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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCRAWFORD, Hank(b Bennie Ross Crawford Jr, 21 December 1934, Memphis TN; d there 29 January 2009) Saxes, piano, leader, composer. He joined the Ray Charles band on baritone in 1958, switched to alto '59, became music director, left Charles '63 to start his own small group. His Atlantic LP True Blue made the USA album chart '64; several others included From The Heart and Soul Of The Ballad: his blues-drenched small-band soul music anticipated '70s jazz-funk. LPs on the Kudu label I Hear A Symphony '76, Hank Crawford's Back '77 also charted; Tico Rico issued in UK '79; albums on Milestone included Midnight Ramble, Indigo Blue '83, Down On The Deuce '84; Roadhouse Symphony '85 features Mac Rebennack and David 'Fathead' Newman; Mr Chips '86 has Newman, Randy Brecker, Bernard Purdie on drums; Steppin' Up '87 included Jimmy McGriff. Groove Master '90 included Gloria Coleman, Purdie, Rebennack; Portrait '91 included Newman; South-Central '92 included Purdie, Grady Tate, Lew Soloff, others; Tight '96 had Newman, Idris Muhammad on drums, seven others. Road Tested '97 had McGriff, Purdie, Wayne Boyd on guitar. Crawford had a stroke in 2000, performed again in 2003 but suffered from the effects of the stroke, and passed away only a few days after Fathead, his old bandmate. Another mate from the Charles band, baritone saophonist Leroy Cooper, died on 15 January 2009 in Orlando Florida, where he had been leading a band at Disneyworld for 20 years. |