Nicknamed Little Beaver because of his prominent buckteeth, Florida funk guitar player Willie Hale became an in-demand session player before branching out in 1972 with Joey, his first solo album. Hale’s sophomore outing, Black Rhapsody Instrumental, surfaced in 1974, opening with “A Tribute to Wes”: a flowing instrumental that smooths out Hale’s funk with buttery R&B grooves. The following “Blues for Mama” makes good on its title by pumping Delta-inspired fretwork through wet reverb and a wah-wah pedal as a loose rhythm section keeps the changes airtight. Some tasteful leads on an acoustic guitar provide a nice contrast here as well. The rhythm section shows a Meters-influenced penchant for somehow making taut chops sound floating and free throughout “Hit Me with Funky Music.” Hale and band take a breezy detour on what could be the grooviest cover ever of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.”