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RANDY CRAWFORD & JOE SAMPLE Feeling Good PRA Records/Universal 1701 163

 
1. Feeling Good
2. End Of The Line
3. But Beautiful
4. Rio de Janeiro Blue
5. Lovetown
6. See Line Woman
7. Tell Me More and More (And Then Some)
8. Everybody's Talkin’
9. When I Need You
10. Save Your Love For Me
11. Danceland
12. All Night Long
13. Late Late Show
14. Mr. Ugly
Randy Crawford – Vocals
Joe Sample – Piano
Christian McBride – Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums

Some people may wonder what Randy Crawford is doing in the jazz section. Isn’t she a pop singer? Well, yes and no. She made her name with popular hits like Last Night at Danceland and One Day I’ll Fly Away, but earlier in her career she sang with such jazzers as Cannonball Adderley, Quincy Jones and George Benson. And the Crusaders, with whom she made her breakthrough recording of Street Life, were originally called the Jazz Crusaders.

Here she takes on jazz numbers like But Beautiful and Billie Holiday’s Tell Me More and More (And Then Some) alongside pop songs like When I Need You and Everybody’s Talkin’. She even does a rerun of Last Night at Danceland. However you classify her, she has a lovely, unique voice – immediately recognisable as Randy Crawford. And the backing from Joe Sample’s trio is discreet and impeccable, with "minimal additional instrumentation", presumably arranged by Joe. The recording quality is top-of-the-range and the music is consistently attractive and tasteful. This is Randy Crawford’s first album in several years and it was worth waiting for.

Tony Augarde

 

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