Hank Crawford - I Hear A Symphony (1975/2013)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,8 MHz | Time - 33:32 minutes | 957 MB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/88,2 kHz | Time - 33:32 minutes | 688 MB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: Front cover
Hank Crawford's June 1975 date was an attempt to swing for the same fences that cats like Grover Washington had sailed over the year before with "Mister Magic" and had crossed again a month before with "Feels So Good." Creed Taylor and his Kudu label scored big with Washington in what was the real precursor to smooth jazz. Crawford's "I Hear a Symphony" listed among its cast of players Richard Tee, Don Grolnick, Steve Khan, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, vocalists Patti Austin and Frank Floyd, and guitarist Eric Gale, among others. Crawford ever the Memphis groover, brought his own set of soul vibes to the date and fused them willingly with Taylor's penchant for the chart-emergent disco of the day. With arrangements by David Matthews, this set is a cooker. Certainly the production is a bit dated, but the funky-butt moves in Crawford's soulful playing and the tough riffing of Gale more than transcend it. With a selection of cuts that include an Austin-fronted realization of the Motown classic title track by Holland and Dozier, to a pair of solid jazz funk tunes by Matthews in "Madison (Spirit the Power)" and "Hang on the Ceiling," to the shimmering cool shimmying version of the "The Stripper," this is a good vibe set. But it is on Crawford's "Sugar Free" where things really heat up. Crawford's take on funk was different than his producer's. This is greasy four to the floor strutting and flexing. This track could have been in any blaxploitation flick and could have pumped up any discotheque sound system. The horn charts are big and tight, and Crawford and Gale trading eights send it over. This is blowing. The sexier ballad and mid-tempo tracks all seem to have come more from the Crawford book, too, such as Jerry Ragovoy's "I'll Move You No Mountain," and Bobby Eli's "Love Won't Let Me Wait." There's plenty of meat in their silvery grooves. The set closes with a tight instrumental read of the Minnie Riperton/Leon Ware classic "Baby, This Love I Have." It's in the pocket, evolves at an unhurried pace, and croons through the tune with a chunky backbeat and popping bassline. Crawford's solo literally sings here. In all, a different, way commercial, but very satisfying session that should have done better and would have if Washington's "Feels So Good" hadn't been burning up the charts.
Tracklist:
01 - I Hear A Symphony
02 - Madison (Spirit, The Power)
03 - Hang It On The Ceiling
04 - The Stripper
05 - Sugar Free
06 - Love Won't Let Me Wait
07 - I'll Move You No Mountain
08 - Baby! This Love I Have
Produced by Creed Taylor. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder. Arranged by David Matthews.
Recorded in June and July 1975 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Hank Crawford - alto saxophone
Jon Faddis, John Frosk, Robert Millikan, Alan Rubin - trumpet, flugelhorn
Barry Rogers, Fred Wesley - trombone
Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Dave Taylor - bass trombone
Leon Pendarvis - electric piano
Eric Gale - guitar
Gary King - bass
Steve Gadd - drums
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Idris Muhammad - shaker, tambourine
Patti Austin - lead vocals
Hilda Harris, Deborah McDuffie, Maeretha Stewart - vocals
Harry Cykman, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Joe Malin, David Nadien, John Pintavalle, Raoul Poliakin, Max Pollikoff, Richard Sortomme - violin
Seymour Barab, Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman - cello
Jon Faddis, John Frosk, Robert Millikan, Alan Rubin - trumpet, flugelhorn
Barry Rogers, Fred Wesley - trombone
Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Dave Taylor - bass trombone
Leon Pendarvis - electric piano
Eric Gale - guitar
Gary King - bass
Steve Gadd - drums
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Idris Muhammad - shaker, tambourine
Patti Austin - lead vocals
Hilda Harris, Deborah McDuffie, Maeretha Stewart - vocals
Harry Cykman, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Joe Malin, David Nadien, John Pintavalle, Raoul Poliakin, Max Pollikoff, Richard Sortomme - violin
Seymour Barab, Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman - cello
Analyzed: Hank Crawford / I Hear A Symphony
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DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -5.71 dB -20.34 dB 4:46 01-I Hear A Symphony
DR14 -4.78 dB -20.86 dB 3:55 02-Madison (Spirit, The Power)
DR13 -5.94 dB -21.05 dB 4:14 03-Hang It On The Ceiling
DR13 -5.27 dB -20.90 dB 4:03 04-The Stripper
DR13 -5.93 dB -20.67 dB 4:42 05-Sugar Free
DR14 -5.65 dB -22.35 dB 4:04 06-Love Won't Let Me Wait
DR13 -4.34 dB -19.99 dB 4:08 07-I'll Move You No Mountain
DR14 -5.53 dB -21.30 dB 3:39 08-Baby! This Love I Have
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 8
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 5645 kbps
Codec: DSD64
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––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -5.71 dB -20.34 dB 4:46 01-I Hear A Symphony
DR14 -4.78 dB -20.86 dB 3:55 02-Madison (Spirit, The Power)
DR13 -5.94 dB -21.05 dB 4:14 03-Hang It On The Ceiling
DR13 -5.27 dB -20.90 dB 4:03 04-The Stripper
DR13 -5.93 dB -20.67 dB 4:42 05-Sugar Free
DR14 -5.65 dB -22.35 dB 4:04 06-Love Won't Let Me Wait
DR13 -4.34 dB -19.99 dB 4:08 07-I'll Move You No Mountain
DR14 -5.53 dB -21.30 dB 3:39 08-Baby! This Love I Have
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Number of tracks: 8
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 2822400 Hz / PCM Samplerate: 176400 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 1
Bitrate: 5645 kbps
Codec: DSD64
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Thanks to the Original customer!