Hank Crawford: "Tico Rico" (Kudu/King Record KICJ 2521)
Rating: **** (musical performance & sonic quality)
Produced by Creed Taylor
Basic tracks recorded by Don Hahn @ A&R Studios (New York, NY) in November 1976
Overdubbing by Joe Jorgensen @ Mediasound Studios (New York, NY)
Mixed by David Palmer @ Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY) in May 1977
Photos: White Gate
Album Design: Sib Chalawick & Carole Kowalchuk
Arranged & Conducted by David Matthews
Featuring: Hank Crawford (alto sax), David Matthews (Fender Rhodes electric piano on "I've Just Seen A Face"), Clifford Carter (Fender Rhodes electric piano & synthesizer), Gary King (electric bass), Steve Gadd (drums), Sue Evans (percussion), Nicky Marrero (congas), Eric Gale (electric guitar), Jeremy Steig (flute solos on "Tico Rico" and "Funky Rooster"), Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Randy Brecker & Jon Faddis (trumpet), Frank Floyd, Zachary Sanders, Raymond Simpson (background vocals on "Lullaby of Love").
String section on "Teach Me Tonight":
Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Charles Libove, Marvin Morgenstern, David Nadien, Max Polikoff, Matthew Raimondi (violin), Lamar Alsop, Emanuel Vardi aka Manny Vardi (viola), Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman (cello)
The first CD reissue of Crawford's seventh album for CTI's subsidiary label Kudu Records. A pleasant funky-pop-jazz session by David Sanborn's favorite alto sax player, the one & only Hank Crawford.
Includes four originals by former James Brown arranger David Matthews ("Funky Rooster," "Lament," "Lady Soul" and the title track "Tico Rico"), one pop ballad sung & composed by vocalist Frank Floyd ("Lullaby of Love"), a Beatles hit (John Lennon/Paul McCartney's "I've Just Seen A Face"), and a haunting bluesy version of the Gene DePaul/Sammy Cahn standard "Teach Me Tonight" done at a very slow tempo -- the only track with a string section -- that became the album highlight, with Eric Gale shining on the guitar and Gadd simply perfect on drums.
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