Hubert Laws - The San Francisco Concert (2017) [Hi-Res]

This live set finds flutist Hubert Laws both looking backwards toward his best CTI recordings and ahead to his generally abysmal output for Columbia. With Bob James doing the arrangements, the music is more overtly commercial than Don Sebesky's earlier work. The adaptations of themes by Bizet and Rimsky-Korsakoff are worthwhile, and Laws does a fine job on the catchy "Feel Like Making Love"; the other selection is a forgettable tune by Dave Grusin. Backed by a huge string orchestra, Laws plays quite well, uplifting the material and doing what he can with the charts. This was his final CTI release. ~ Scott Yanow