Hank Crawford
Background information
Born	Bennie Ross Crawford, Jr (1934-12-21)December 21, 1934 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	January 29, 2009(2009-01-29) (aged 74) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	R&B,hard bop,jazz-funk,soul jazz
Occupations	Saxophonist, songwriter
Instruments	alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano
Years active	1958–2009
Labels	Milestone,Atlantic

Bennie Ross "Hank"Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009)^[1] was an Americanalto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged fromR&B,hard bop,jazz-funk, andsoul jazz. Crawford was musical director forRay Charles before embarking on a solo career releasing many well-regarded albums for labels such asAtlantic,CTI andMilestone.

Crawford was born inMemphis, Tennessee, United States.^[2] He began formal piano studies at the age of nine and was soon playing for his church choir. His father had brought an alto saxophone home from the service and when Hank entered Manassas High School, he took it up in order to join the band. He creditsCharlie Parker,Louis Jordan,Earl Bostic andJohnny Hodges as early influences.

Crawford appears on an early 1952 Memphis recording forB.B. King, with a band includingBen Branch andIke Turner.^[3]

In 1958, Crawford went to college atTennessee State University inNashville, Tennessee.^[2] While at TSU, he majored in music studying theory and composition, as well as playing alto and baritone saxophone in the Tennessee State Jazz Collegians. He also led his own rock 'n' roll quartet, "Little Hank and the Rhythm Kings". His bandmates all thought he looked and sounded just like Hank O'Day, a local saxophonist, which earned him the nickname "Hank".^[4] This is when Crawford metRay Charles, who hired Crawford originally as a baritone saxophonist.^[2] Crawford switched to alto in 1959,^[2] and remained with Charles' band — becoming its musical director until 1963.^[5]

When Crawford left Ray Charles in 1963 to form his own septet, he had already established himself with several albums forAtlantic Records.^[2] From 1960 until 1970, he recorded twelve LPs for the label, many while balancing his earlier duties as Ray's director. He released such pre-crossover hits as "Misty", "The Peeper", "Whispering Grass", and "Shake-A-Plenty".

He also has done musical arrangement forEtta James,Lou Rawls, and others.^[6] Crawford recorded "Wild Flower" in 1973, and He worked withCornell Dupree "Shadow Dancing" album in 1978.^[7]Much of his career has been in R&B, but in the 1970s he had several successful jazz albums, withI Hear a Symphony reaching 11 onBillboard's Jazz albums list and 159 for Pop albums.

David Sanborn cites Crawford as being one of his primary influences.^[8][9] Crawford is recognized by saxophonists as having a particularly unique and pleasing sound.^[10] In 1981, he featured, with fellow horn playersRonnie Cuber andDavid Newman, on B.B. King'sThere Must Be a Better World Somewhere.

In 1983 he moved toMilestone Records as a premier arranger, soloist, and composer, writing for small bands including guitaristMelvin Sparks, organistJimmy McGriff, andDr. John.^[11] In 1986, Crawford began working with blues-jazz organ masterJimmy McGriff.^[2] They recorded five co-leader dates forMilestone Records:Soul Survivors,Steppin' Up,On the Blue Side,Road Tested, andCrunch Time, as well as two dates for Telarc Records:Right Turn on Blue andBlues Groove. The two toured together extensively.

The new century found Crawford shifting gears and going for a more mainstream jazz set in his 2000 releaseThe World of Hank Crawford. Though the songs are compositions from jazz masters such asDuke Ellington andTadd Dameron, he delivers in that sanctified church sound that is his trademark. Followed byThe Best of Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff (2001).

Crawford died on January 29, 2009, at his home in Memphis, aged 74, due to complications arising from an earlierstroke.^[1]

WithRay Charles

• Ray Charles at Newport (Atlantic, 1958)
• What'd I Say (Atlantic, 1959)
• Ray Charles in Person (Atlantic, 1959)
• Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (ABC-Paramount, 1962)

WithB.B. King

• There Must Be a Better World Somewhere (MCA, 1981)
• Let the Good Times Roll (MCA, 1999)

WithDavid "Fathead" Newman

• Fathead Comes On (Atlantic, 1962)
• Still Hard Times (Muse, 1982)
• Fire! Live at the Village Vanguard (Atlantic, 1989)

With others

• Eric Clapton,Journeyman (Warner Bros., 1989)
• Cornell Dupree,Shadow Dancing (Versatile, 1978)
• Grant Green,Easy (Versatile, 1978)
• Johnny Hammond,Breakout (Kudu/CTI Records, 1971)
• Etta James,The Right Time (Elektra, 1992)
• Shirley Scott,Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes (Atlantic, 1969)
• Janis Siegel,The Tender Trap (Monarch, 1999)

• Hank Crawford bio
• All About Jazz: Hank Crawford

• 1934 births
• 2009 deaths
• American jazz alto saxophonists
• American male saxophonists
• Crossover jazz saxophonists
• Hard bop saxophonists
• Jazz-funk saxophonists
• Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee
• Ray Charles
• Rhythm and blues saxophonists
• Soul-jazz saxophonists
• Tennessee State University alumni
• Atlantic Records artists
• Milestone Records artists
• Columbia Records artists
• 20th-century American saxophonists
• American jazz pianists
• American male jazz musicians
• CTI Records artists
• 20th-century American male musicians

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from March 2013
• Articles with hCards