Hank Crawford - A Funky Thing To Do – Collectables 6597

Joel Dorn, who produced this album, doesn’t like it. It’s not as good as the three best of Hank’s sixties albums, but well up to the other seven, and a lot better than Hank’s later seventies albums. And very interesting.

It’s Pee Wee Ellis’ first recording after leaving the James Brown band; the former straw boss of the James Brown band together with the former straw boss of the Ray Charles band. The title track, composed by Pee Wee, is a fabulous groove; the basis of Salt & Pepa’s sarcastic Step (not many raps in 6/8). The most interesting track is Hank’s version of Bird’s Parker’s Mood. The original was the B side of Parker’s only R&B chart entry and the only recording in which Parker used the stone blues style that was the greatest influence on the young Hank Crawford, backing Memphis bluesmen with Ike Turner’s band. So this is precisely where Hank is coming from - AM