When Was the Last Time

When Was the Last Time was the last time for Willie Hale a.k.a. Little Beaver, ending the string of excellent albums he cut for the Cat label that have served as catnip for ‘70s soul-funk collectors. Hale was one of the extraordinarily talented musicians Henry Stone assembled at his Hialeah, FL-based T.K. Records label and its assorted imprints; among the artists who recorded for Stone were K.C. & the Sunshine Band, Timmy Thomas, Gwen McCrae, Betty Wright, and Benny Latimore…and backing them on a lot of those records was Hale, laying down mellow ‘n’ funky, jazz-influenced licks on his hollow-body Gibson. You’ll hear plenty of that Gibson on this 1976 record, which takes a smoother and more mellow approach than its predecessors, with keyboard assistance from Timmy Thomas. “Concrete Jungle” is the pick to click, but the whole album exudes that warm, sultry Miami soul sound. We’ve remastered When Was the Last Time for its first reissue in over 25 years, and pressed it in emerald green vinyl for its 50th anniversary!