Crunch Time

Jimmy McGriff, Hank Crawford | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 8, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Milestone
• ASIN: B00000I8ZL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,698 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From Jazziz

Classic soul-jazz, once given the R.I.P. treatment, has crawled from its grave in recent years, raiding the grooves of Medeski, Martin & Wood, showing up in samples manipulated by hip-hoppers, and coloring modern-jazz projects by the likes of Javon Jackson. The sound - saturday night's fish fry bumping into sunday-morning services - has long been the cornbread and butter, if you will, of saxophonist Hank Crawford and Hammond B-3 master Jimmy McGriff. With Crunch Time, that couple is back together for their seventh collaboration in 13 years.

Joined by fatback drummer Bernard Purdie and guitarists Melvin Sparks and Cornell Dupree on various tracks, the pair regularly cross and straddle that sacred-profane divide. They slide into action with Crawford's shuffling "Bow Legs," a showcase for the Memphis native's expressive alto - sometimes wailing, sometimes barking, nearly always subject to being mistaken for a vocal cry. And they send listeners home with Horace Silver's "The Preacher," as the Philadelphia-born McGriff's gospel-blues organ intro sets up the unison and harmony lines of his bandmates.

There's plenty of preaching in between, including "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)," as sultry a ballad as you'll find this side of closing time at the juke joint; the sing-song testifying of Clifford Brown's "Sandu" (notice Sparks' hint of "St. Thomas"); and the McGriff-penned title track, earthy and swinging mean. Also worked into the sermon are a lightly funked take on Marvin Gaye's hit "What's Going On" and a moody, slow-moving version of "Without a Song" that wouldn't be out of place at a tent revival. Call us converted.

--- Philip Booth, JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff, May 6, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Crunch Time (Audio CD)

When you're in the mood for some straight-ahead jazz with an r & b groove, you go to Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff. This is head boppin', toe tappin' music that never stops swinging. Has Bernard "Pretty" Purdie been on a thousand hit records, or what? While he keeps the time, Cornell Dupree or Melvin Sparks supply some burning guitar that more than keeps up with Hank's soulful alto and that big Hammond B-3 sound of Jimmy. This is some real "in the pocket" great stuff!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, October 8, 2000

By 

William Jones (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crunch Time (Audio CD)

Another strong release by Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff. "It's all Good" swings the hardest. Nobody can shuffle like Bernard Purdie!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big, Bad, Boss Jazz/Soul/R&B/BLUES..w/gravy, September 9, 2003

By 

"douglasnegley" (Pittsburgh, Pa. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crunch Time (Audio CD)

Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff know just how to groove. With Bernard Purdie laying down the blues, the shuffle, and the pop; and both Melvin Sparks cookin', and (a personal favorite) Cornell Dupree twangin' up the joint, this is another one to put on when you're ready to open up the jug - get the thing rollin'...and simply dig in for the night. Nothing complicated here - just finger poppin', toe tappin', groove music...with gravy.