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Indigo Blue (album)

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Indigo Blue
Studio album by
Hank Crawford
Released1983
RecordedAugust 1983
GenreJazz
LabelMilestone
Hank Crawford chronology
Midnight Ramble
(1982) 		Indigo Blue
(1983) 		Down on the Deuce
(1984)

Indigo Blue is an album by the American saxophonist Hank Crawford, released in 1983.[1][2] Crawford supported the album with a North American tour.[3]

Production

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The album was recorded in New York City in August 1983.[4] Crawford played saxophone and electric piano on the songs, which are mostly ballads and blues.[5] "All Alone and Blue" is a version of the Percy Mayfield song.[6] "Just for a Thrill" was written in part by Lil Armstrong.[6] "The Very Thought of You" was composed by Ray Noble.[7] "Funny" is an interpretation of the Willie Nelson song.[8] "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a version of the standard made famous by Duke Ellington.[7] Dr. John played organ and piano on some tracks; Melvin Sparks played guitar.[9] Bernard Purdie played drums and Wilbur Bascomb played bass.[10] Crawford employed a four-piece horn section that included David "Fathead" Newman.[11]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Lincoln Journal Star[8]
MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide[13]
Omaha World-Herald[10]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[14]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[15]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[16]
The Sun[17]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music[18]

The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Crawford's "alto sax style remains heavily influenced by Memphis blues and R&B, which are strong elements here."[15] The Morning Call called the album "a cohesive collection of eclectic material", concluding that "Crawford's second Milestone offering rivals the quality of the first".[6] The Herald labeled Crawford "a balladeer and lyrical mood-spinner of the first rank."[7] The Sun said that Crawford "plays with more grit than usual... It's all quite pleasant and funky."[9] The Sun, of Baltimore, lamented that "the fact that [Crawford] is playing two instruments necessitates enough overdubbing to blunt the momentum of the performances."[17]

In 1991, the Chicago Tribune opined that "Crawford's sound has the edgy quality and swing that the imitators lack."[19] AllMusic praised the performances of Dr. John and Crawford and said, "The bittersweet ballad 'Just for a Thrill' ends the set, with some of the sweetest and most lyrical piano and alto playing either man had done on a record until that time."[12]

Track listing

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Side 1

  1. "All Alone and Blue"
  2. "The Very Thought of You"
  3. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"

Side 2

  1. "Funny"
  2. "Indigo Blue"
  3. "Just for a Thrill"

References

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  1. ^ Kernfeld, Barry, ed. (1994). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. St. Martin's Press. p. 253.
  2. ^ Robbins, Ira A., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Review 1985: The Year In Rock Music. Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 89.
  3. ^ Kelp, Larry (March 15, 1984). "Saxophonist Crawford back in S.F. in fine form". Oakland Tribune. p. D6.
  4. ^ Brodhead Jr., John; Talmont, Tek (February 18, 1984). "Different shades of blues from Crawford and Collins". Courier News. p. B6.
  5. ^ "Jazz/Pop". Friday. The Plain Dealer. March 16, 1984. p. 30.
  6. ^ a b c Opdyke, P. J. (January 7, 1984). "Records". The Morning Call. p. 70.
  7. ^ a b c Kelton, Jim (January 15, 1984). "Basic Memphis—city never had it so good". Venture. The Herald. p. 5.
  8. ^ a b Becker, Bart (January 17, 1984). "Short Cuts". Lincoln Journal Star. p. 8.
  9. ^ a b Rutter, Frank (January 28, 1984). "Survival of the finest". The Sun. p. E8.
  10. ^ a b Smith, Will (January 29, 1984). "Jazz Sounds". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 4.
  11. ^ Shepard, Eric (January 20, 1984). "Night music". Happenings. The Journal-News. Rockland County, New York. p. 5.
  12. ^ a b "Indigo Blue Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  13. ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 283.
  14. ^ The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. 2008. p. 317.
  15. ^ a b Lloyd, Jack (January 6, 1984). "Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E22.
  16. ^ The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. Random House. 1985. p. 52.
  17. ^ a b Considine, J. D. (January 29, 1984). "Sounds advice". The Sun. p. D2.
  18. ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Virgin Books. 1997. p. 316.
  19. ^ Fuller, Jack (October 13, 1991). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 24.
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