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Artist
Hank Crawford
12+ albums
jazzsaxophoneHard Bopsoul jazzr&b
about
Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (21 December 1934 – 29 January 2009) was an American R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, soul jazz, alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter. Crawford was musical director for Ray Charles before embarking on a solo career, during which he released many well-regarded albums for jazz record labels CTI Records and then Milestone Records. Crawford was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He began formal piano studies at age 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 credits Charlie Parker, Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic and Johnny Hodges as early influences. Crawford appears on an early 1952 Memphis recording for B.B. King with a band including Ben Branch and Ike Turner. In 1958 Crawford went to college at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. 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 legendary local saxophonist, which earned him the nickname "Hank". This is when Crawford met Ray Charles, who hired Crawford originally as a baritone saxophonist. Crawford switched to alto in 1959 and remained with Charles' band—becoming its musical director until
