We Got a Good Thing Going

Whether you like Hank Crawford's series of 1970s Kudu albums is very much dependent on whether you like one of America’s finest blues/jazz players, backed by a stellar band, reinterpreting well known songs into impeccably arranged and produced soul jazz and jazz funk instrumentals, enriched with romantic orchestration, and stretched out to give space for various players to rock up and show off their chops. If you do, then this is a superb example. The string sections on this, his second Kudu album, are particularly beguiling, with the gentle blend of sax, orchestra and a hint of Hammond organ on "Down to Earth" sounding particularly ravishing, and lots of the tracks start out with some swooping, pretty string parts before unfolding into high-calibre, glossy soul jazz jams. We Got A… also includes a couple of killer seasonal tunes for your annual Christmas playlist. Hank Crawford released eight albums for the Kudo label, and this is definitely one of the best.