Overlooked by modern players but a formative infl uence on David Sanborn and many other soul-jazz saxophonists, this Tennessee altoist was the mainstay of the Ray Charles band. His warm yet incisive tone and slippery technique recall elements of Charlie Parker, but he also brought a preachy, tell-yourstory lyricism to the party, especially on ballads. Check his interpretations of ‘Easy Living’ and ‘Angel Eyes’. For these two sessions, both originally issued on vinyl by Atlantic, he looked no further than the Charles band, a worthy and well-travelled outfit. Its most distinguished member was David ‘Fathead’ Newman, who like Crawford recorded several albums under his own name. Baritonist Cooper and the two trumpeters here are OK for a couple of choruses, but it's Newman and Crawford who display real personality and the ability to develop extended solos without anticlimaxes. The band itself grooves happily along, riding crisp shuffl ebeats or straightahead swing, punctuated with tight ensemble riffs both between and behind the soloists. The set-list mixes blues originals with such popular jazz standards as Horace Silver's funky ‘Sister Sadie’ or Bobby Timmons’ soulful ‘Dat Dere’. Pop it on the machine and if you don't cry ‘Yeah!’ at least once, you should seek medical advice.