You get some rocking and rolling from two sides of the fence on these latest reissues from Avid.
Alto saxist Hank Crawford had one of the most influential tones and feels, honing his skills with Ray Charles and then putting out some swinging R&B jazz albums on his own. This one has him as a sideman with Charles in a sizzling 1959 concert in Atlanta, GA, with robust reads of “Night Time Is The Right Time” and the classic “What’d I Say.” His first solo album from 1960 has him with teammate David “Fathead” Newman, and includes a hip “Dat Dere” and gorgeous “Angel Eyes.” Newman is also featured on the ’62 followup that includes Horace Silver’s “Me and My Baby” the standard “Easy Living” and Crawford’s own “Lorelei’s Lament.” The same year has him mixing sounds from Charles with modern swing on “The Peeper” “Sweet Cakes” and a riveting “You’ve Changed.” This guy oozed soul!
Speaking of soul, Brother Jack McDuff made his Hammond B3 moan with glory on every session he was on, but particularly when teamed with guitarist Bill Jennings. His 1960 rookie session includes Al Jennings/vib, Wendell Marshall/b and Alvin Jackson/dr, and the team lays down easy grooves on “Cole Slaw” while simmering Latin style on “Hey Mrs. Jones.” The same year he put out a classic same team that hums on “Organ Grinder’s Swing” and “Light Blues.” Jennings is not on the third 1960 album, but tenor saxist Jimmy Forrest makes up for the loss with some fog rolling in on “Smooth Sailing” and “Autumn Leaves.” Jennings’ is the leader on the 1959 album with McDuff, Marshal and Jackson, and the team digs deep on “Dark Eyes” and “Blue Jam.” The lights are low on this set!
Some people argue that Bill Haley delivered the first “Rock and Roll” song, but he’s at least the first white guy to do so, mixing country and R&B in a way that connected with post WWII adolescents. These five albums include the classic “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock” and a sanitized yet still swinging take of “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” The ringer here is the Stage Show that doesn’t let go with a pounding guitar solo by Franny Beecher on the instrumental“Calling All Comets,” some tenor sax wailing by Rudy Pompilli on “Hey Th, There Now”a rollicking “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” and a stomping “Hide and Seek.” This was their first actual album, as opposed to a collection of singles, and it is a Bunsen burner! An album devoted to female names in the title is a cutie, with hints of nostalgia on “Dinah” and “Ida-Sweet As Apple Cider.” By the time of Rockin’ Around The World he was being eclipsed by a guy named Elvis Presley, but the material on these two discs show that he more than left his mark.