After a career that spanned the '60s with a number of releases on Pacific Jazz records as the Jazz Crusaders, the beginning of the '70s found the band dropping the jazz moniker from their name and moving toward the more commercially accessible pop/R&B crossover audience. These nine selections are taken from seven albums originally released on the Blue Thumb and MCA labels recorded between 1971 and 1979 with a live cut featuring B.B. King from 1981.

Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American jazz pianist.
Born in New York City, New York, he first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, and Dinah Washington. He led many recording sessions throughout the 50s, and in 1957 appeared on John Coltrane's Blue Train.

Those not inclined towards the less avant roots of the jazz genre might be better served by recommencing their continued investigations into the latest works of longtime ECM stablemate John Abercrombie. NOVEMBER finds the guitarist in a spirited quartet alongside the likes of bassist Johnson, drummer Peter Erskine, and saxophonist John Surman.

Começou a tocar piano aos 6 anos de idade. Sua mãe Lucy era uma pianista clássica. Em 1973, aos 13 anos de idade, iniciou seus estudos de piano no Centro Livre de Aprendizagem Musical - CLAM com Amilton Godoy, pianista do Zimbo Trio. Aos dezessete começou a se apresentar tocando suas composições próprias. Após uma turnê em 1981 com Eddie Gomez, foi encorajada a se mudar para Nova Iorque.

Listening to Zachary Breaux's commercial work on Laidback, it's clear that the guitarist was capable of a lot more. That said, this isn't a bad album -- it isn't a masterpiece, but it's enjoyable most of the time. Mindful of George Benson's more commercial instrumental work, Breaux gets into a likable jazz/R&B/pop groove on such originals as "Small Town in Texas" and "West Side Worry." Harmonica great Toots Thielemans has pleasant, if unremarkable, cameos on John Barry's "Midnight Cowboy" and Breaux's mellow title song, while singer Audrey Wheeler joins Breaux for a vocal duet on a cover of Little Anthony & the Imperials' 1960s hit "Going Out of My Head."