Singer/pianist Davell Crawford pays homage to his native New Orleans on My Gift to You, steeped in the dreamy Crescent City–style soul that has long been his trademark. Matching original tunes with well-chosen covers, he serves up a gumbo of slow-burning ballads and lustrous upbeat tunes that owe as much to Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White as Professor Longhair or The Neville Brothers for inspiration. Crawford has a voice of unusual nuance and suavity; he sounds at once seductive and confessional in these tracks. “River/White Socks & Drawers,” “Louisiana Saturday Night," and “Southern Girl” show off his smooth jazz/funk inclinations, while “Don’t Ever Be Blue” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” summon a countrified atmosphere. Particularly striking are the sumptuously arranged “Creole Woman” and a subtle, piano-centered take on James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.” Dr. John, saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., fiddler/accordionist Steve Riley, and flautist Bobbi Humphrey are among the notables who contribute to the richness of the album’s musical blend.