by Scott YanowHank Crawford always puts a lot of passion into each note he plays. On this set of blues and soulful ballads, Crawford caresses each melody as usual but the lack of tempo variations and the generally so-so material keep this from being one of his more essential recordings. Guitarist Melvin Sparks has a few fine solos but otherwise the backup band (which includes pianist Dr. John, organist Gloria Coleman and an occasional brass section) sounds pretty anonymous. Although a pleasant enough listen, Hank Crawford has recorded many more significant dates than Groove Master.