South Central (album)

South Central
Studio album by
Released1993
RecordedAugust 1992
GenreJazz
LabelMilestone
ProducerBob Porter
Hank Crawford chronology
Portrait
(1991)
South Central
(1993)
Right Turn on Blues
(1994)

South Central is an album by the American saxophonist Hank Crawford, released in 1993.[1][2] He supported it with a North American tour.[3]

Production

Recorded in August 1992, the album was produced by Bob Porter.[4][5] Crawford was back by Melvin Sparks on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, Peter Marin Weiss on bass, and Stan Hope on piano.[6][7] Bernard Purdie, Gloria Coleman, and Dr. John contributed to a couple of the tracks.[8][9] The album was recorded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots; Crawford was inspired by the resiliency of the region and his hope for its future.[5] "In a Mellotone" is a version of the Duke Ellington standard.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All Music Guide to Jazz[4]
Detroit Free Press[6]
MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide[10]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[9]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide[11]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]

The Detroit Free Press praised the "good songs in a good mix, sharp arrangements and a stellar cast of players to bring it all off."[6] The Omaha World-Herald called the album "raw, elemental and mostly funky".[13] The Commercial Appeal said that "Crawford's playing is a down-home delight."[8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Falling in Love with Love" 
2."I Should Care" 
3."South Central" 
4."I Want to Talk About You" 
5."In a Mellotone" 
6."Conjunction Mars" 
7."Fool That I Am" 
8."Splanky" 
9."O Holy Night" 

References

  1. ^ Heim, Chris (September 1993). "Jazz". Utne Reader (59): 124.
  2. ^ Milkowski, Bill (October 1994). "Hank Crawford Heart and Souls". JazzTimes. Vol. 24, no. 10. p. 88.
  3. ^ Heim, Chris (January 14, 1994). "Other concerts of note". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. R.
  4. ^ a b All Music Guide to Jazz (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. 1998. p. 256.
  5. ^ a b c Wills, Rich (April 9, 1993). "Music". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 12.
  6. ^ a b c Johnson, Lawrence B. (March 27, 1993). "Recordings". Detroit Free Press. p. 24D.
  7. ^ Talmont, Tek (June 20, 1993). "Jazz Beat". The Courier-News. p. E6.
  8. ^ a b Nager, Larry (July 25, 1993). "Recordings". The Commercial Appeal. p. G2.
  9. ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. 2008. p. 317.
  10. ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 283.
  11. ^ The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. 1999. p. 181.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Virgin Books. p. 316.
  13. ^ Smith, Will (April 11, 1993). "Jazz Sounds". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 8.