One of jazz's best-known flautists, Texas-born Hubert Laws gradually moved from straight-ahead jazz to smooth R&B. In the '60s he contributed memorable solos to recordings by Gil Scott-Heron, Mongo Santamaria, and Chet Baker. Calling on his Juilliard training, he employed classical themes on his early, acclaimed solo albums for CTI. Shifting gears and changing labels to Columbia, he embraced quiet storm on 1979's Land of Passion, a big seller featuring vocals that annoyed jazz purists. Since then he's kept a foot in both jazz and pop, even making some returns to classical.