Ray Crawford • It's About Time

When tuberculosis forced Ray Crawford to give up his gig playing tenor sax and clarinet in Fletcher Henderson’s band of the early 1940’s, he decided to switch to guitar. Ray became an important cog in pianist Ahmad Jamal’s early groups and his unique, percussive style was soon appropriated by other guitarists including the great Herb Ellis. Ray went on to record with Gil Evans towards the end of the 1950’s, and after settling in Los Angeles he started to work for the legendary organist Jimmy Smith – an association that would last well into the 1980’s. Ray also was a sought after session man and appeared on other artist’s records including Tom Wait’s 1978 “Blue Valentine” album. In the 1970’s Ray began billing himself as H. Ray Crawford, and in 1977 he recorded a full length solo album for the tiny Dobro label, which is now considered a lost gem among fans of jazz, funk and rare groove. The appropriately titled “It’s About Time” included a pair of Ray’s original tunes (“It’s About Time” and “Pick Me Up” parts 1 and 2) and features a brilliant arrangement of the old spiritual, “Sometime I Feel Like A Motherless Child.” Finally available in the digital domain, the album is presented here in its entirety, newly remastered.
Source : www.amazon.com/Its-About-Time ...

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Cuando la tuberculosis obligó a Ray Crawford a dejar de tocar el saxo tenor y el clarinete en la banda de Fletcher Henderson a principios de los años 40, decidió pasarse a la guitarra. Ray se convirtió en una pieza importante en los primeros grupos del pianista Ahmad Jamal y su estilo único y percusivo pronto fue apropiado por otros guitarristas, incluido el gran Herb Ellis. Ray llegó a grabar con Gil Evans a finales de la década de 1950 y, tras establecerse en Los Ángeles, empezó a trabajar para el legendario organista Jimmy Smith, una asociación que duraría hasta bien entrada la década de 1980. Ray también fue un solicitado hombre de sesión y apareció en los discos de otros artistas, incluyendo el álbum "Blue Valentine" de Tom Wait de 1978. En la década de 1970, Ray comenzó a llamarse H. Ray Crawford y en 1977 grabó un álbum completo en solitario para el pequeño sello Dobro, que ahora se considera una joya perdida entre los aficionados al jazz, el funk y el groove raro. El álbum, apropiadamente titulado "It's About Time", incluía un par de temas originales de Ray ("It's About Time" y "Pick Me Up" partes 1 y 2) y presenta un brillante arreglo del viejo espiritual "Sometime I Feel Like A Motherless Child". Por fin disponible en el dominio digital, el álbum se presenta aquí en su totalidad, recién remasterizado.

Fuente : www.amazon.com/Its-About-Time ...

Tracks:
1 It's About Time (Crawford)  5:40
2 Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (trad.)  5:53
3 Pick Me Up (par. 1) (Crawford)  5:10
4 I'll Close my Eyes (Kaye, Reid)  5:06
5 Pick Me Up (part. 2) (Crawford)  3:54
6 Medley 16:51
a. The Way We Were (Hamlish, Bergman)/b. It's Too Late Now (Lerner, Lane)
c. Feelings (Gasté)/d. If (Gates)/e. Whatch What Happens (Legrand)

Credits:
H. Ray Crawford - g
Ronnell Bright - p & el. p
Herbert Lewis - b
Donald Dean - dr

Recorded at Gold Star Studio, Hollywood, California ; August 16, 1977

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