Low Flame High Heat

Hank Crawford | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Label M.
• ASIN: B00004Z3YP
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,853 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

2. But On The Other Hand

3. Lorelei's Lament

4. Save Your Love For Me

5. Angel Eyes

6. Two Years Of Fortune

7. Easy Living

8. What Will I Tell My Heart?

9. Don't Cry Baby

10. Danger Zone

11. You've Changed

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hank Cries the Blues, September 27, 2007

By 

mistersnappy (Tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Low Flame High Heat (Audio CD)

This is the ultimate compilation of Crawford's ballad style from the Atlantic years 1960-1967. Let me paint a mental picture for you if you have not heard this Crawford before. These sides were recorded using the same instrumentation (two trumpets, baritone, tenor, alto, bass, drums, guitar) and many of the same musicians as the Ray Charles Orchestra small group from 1958-1961. There were two basic types of tunes Crawford's band would specialize in-mid tempo swingers and incredibly slow, moaning, stripped-down ballads. This compilation focuses exclusively on the latter.
Crawford was known as "Mr. Blues" in those days because of his incredibly soulful, blues-drenched style. Sort of like a more down home, saltier version of Johnny Hodges.
The arrangements: I have never heard jazz arrangements/songs played THIS SLOWLY. They would drop the tempo down to a mere crawl and all the musicians could match each others vibratos-much like a gospel choir. That is the secret to old school horn sections, trying to imitate the tightness of a vocal group. By virtue of having been on the road together for so long playing one-nighters, they had the kind of tightness and rapport that would allow them to moan the way they do on these songs.
Check out the DVD in the Complete Atlantic Recordings of Ray Charles and see how this band sounded-yet even more distilled. And think of Hank singing where Ray would be.