Soul Stream Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 After years and years of listening to Jack's band with Red, Joe Dukes, and George Benson....it still blows me away at how tight these guys were. You can tell that they worked set after set, night after night, year after year playing this stuff. There's no other way to explain the telepathy (and hard-ass work) that went into this music. God, what I wouldn't have given to see this group live in their heyday. It must have been ridiculous. Quote
Harold_Z Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 I agree 100% ! THAT's an organ group! For those of you that haven't heard it , check out the "Live" date at the Front room in Newark (on Prestige). That version of ROCK CANDY has got to be a classic, UNDECIDED also...and thos are just two examples. The whole thing burns. Quote
JSngry Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 Yep. About the only thing I can imagine being similar in impact live might have been the Willis Jackson group w/Pat Azzara/Martino that made SOUL NIGHT LIVE. That's some seriously houserockin' stuff. But over the long haul, I'd go w/McDuff's group - more stylistic versatility (which is not to say that Jackson's group was lacking in it, just that McDuff's group had more of it). Quote
Harold_Z Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 Jim, is that Yusef Ali/Joe Hadrick on that SOUL NIGHT LIVE lp? Quote
montg Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 For those of you that haven't heard it , check out the "Live" date at the Front room in Newark (on Prestige). I'd just add a hardy second to that recommendation. They blast out of the gate with Rock Candy and never look back. I love listening to this CD with the windows rolled down in the car, just cruisin' and groovin (well, to the extent one can cruise and groove with a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old in the back seat). Has anyone heard the Prestige big band dates that were just reissued? I'm curious how they sound. Quote
Soul Stream Posted September 13, 2003 Author Report Posted September 13, 2003 (edited) Fantasy Jazz has really done a GREAT job in the last years in making a LOT of this band's material available for the first time on CD (or ever in some cases). You can't go wrong with any of these really. Of course the "Live" CD mentioned above along with the Live at the Jazz Workshop material is the cornerstone work of this band. Absolute must imho. Also and GENEROUS nod to "The Concert McDuff" CD release a year or so ago. Wonderful music. Edited September 13, 2003 by Soul Stream Quote
ninety Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 Mc Duff is great, I love his record called SCREAMIN , anyone know any other organ record from another aritst similar to this one? I like it because it features the organ alone and most of the songs are very mellow 2/4 with very bluesy organ. Quote
Soul Stream Posted September 13, 2003 Author Report Posted September 13, 2003 Mc Duff is great, I love his record called SCREAMIN , anyone know any other organ record from another aritst similar to this one? I like it because it features the organ alone and most of the songs are very mellow 2/4 with very bluesy organ. I think if you like "screamin'," you'll also really enjoy "Tough Duff" or "The Honeydripper" among others. They're a couple of his earlier albums and feature Jack a little more heavily imho, than some of the more group-oriented things later. Quote
Harold_Z Posted September 13, 2003 Report Posted September 13, 2003 Sure is. Why do you ask? Curious. Most of Gator's recordings have Yusef but there are a few that don't. He smokes. Great feel. Quote
Big Al Posted September 14, 2003 Report Posted September 14, 2003 I have GOT to get that LIVE! album, PRONTO!!! Quote
Free For All Posted September 14, 2003 Report Posted September 14, 2003 I just got a bunch of stuff in the mail that included the McDuff big band CD, Prelude. I haven't checked it out yet- anyone have any comments on this one? It looks very interesting- Benny Golson arrangements, Joe Dukes, George Benson and Pat Martino, Red Holloway, and it clocks in at just under 80 minutes. Quote
CJ Shearn Posted September 14, 2003 Report Posted September 14, 2003 I got to get "Live!" again, that was a great album. I played it often but sold the CD when I needed $$. You know, "Live!" is a fake live date, simulated in the studio, the applause is so pasted in there and looped. I asked Pete Fallico once and he confirmed my suspicions that yes indeed, "Live!" was canned. Quote
Soul Stream Posted September 14, 2003 Author Report Posted September 14, 2003 I got to get "Live!" again, that was a great album. I played it often but sold the CD when I needed $$. You know, "Live!" is a fake live date, simulated in the studio, the applause is so pasted in there and looped. I asked Pete Fallico once and he confirmed my suspicions that yes indeed, "Live!" was canned. Same goes for the silly "The Concert McDuff." Great music, but canned as a MF. I can't believe on the CD reissue they didn't go back and take of the applause, ect. Quote
CJ Shearn Posted September 14, 2003 Report Posted September 14, 2003 ::some guy just there in the studio doing a canned announced:: The Front Room, is proud to present the world's most exciting jazz organist, Brother Jack McDuff!! Quote
Soulstation1 Posted September 21, 2003 Report Posted September 21, 2003 mcduff is featured big time over on emusic.... i am downloading everything.... ss1 Quote
mikeb Posted September 23, 2003 Report Posted September 23, 2003 The stuff on Prelude's not his greatest, IMHO, but semi-weak McDuff is better than a lot of other music ... ah, hell, I like it, too. But I think there is better of his work out there. Quote
sidewinder Posted January 15, 2006 Report Posted January 15, 2006 Picked up the Jack McDuff Big Band 'Prelude' CD yesterday in a half-price sale. Good stuff - typically fine Benny Golson arrangements and an absolutely cracking NY studio big band with the likes of Danny Stiles, Billy Byers, Mel Lewis etc. (sort of reminiscent of Thad & Mel in parts) plus two french horns including Bob Northern. Brother Jack is also on good form - the only weak tracks in my opinion are the last 4 with the band including Martino. Sounds like they were going for airplay. Of note - a couple of the arrangements were later recorded on UK TV (with minor alterations) by Benny with a Tubby Hayes Orchestra. On the whole, recommended without hesitation.. Quote
Soul Stream Posted January 15, 2006 Author Report Posted January 15, 2006 The stuff on Prelude's not his greatest, IMHO, but semi-weak McDuff is better than a lot of other music. I'm having more and more appreciation of what these guys did the longer I listen to music. If "Prelude" is semi-weak....then what is most of the stuff being put out today! I mean big band w/golson arrangements, McDuff at the b3.....oh those WERE the days!!! Quote
DMP Posted January 15, 2006 Report Posted January 15, 2006 Caught that McDuff group once in a club in Cleveland (on a double-bill with Jimmy Reed! Those were the days!!), and Joe Dukes confirmed what probably everyone suspects - a lot of the "live" stuff wasn't necessarily recorded where the albums indicated. Also, he told me that when he showed up for the Golson date, it was discovered he couldn't read music, so Mel Lewis was called in. As much as I like that particular edition, a lot of McDuff's later bands were also excellent (around the time of his Cadet affiliation - "Gin & Orange," "Black Is" - that period) and catching them in a club was about as much fun as anything I've ever heard. Quote
Soul Stream Posted January 15, 2006 Author Report Posted January 15, 2006 Caught that McDuff group once in a club in Cleveland (on a double-bill with Jimmy Reed! Those were the days!!), and Joe Dukes confirmed what probably everyone suspects - a lot of the "live" stuff wasn't necessarily recorded where the albums indicated. Also, he told me that when he showed up for the Golson date, it was discovered he couldn't read music, so Mel Lewis was called in. As much as I like that particular edition, a lot of McDuff's later bands were also excellent (around the time of his Cadet affiliation - "Gin & Orange," "Black Is" - that period) and catching them in a club was about as much fun as anything I've ever heard. I couldn't agree more! Although I say that in theory since I was too young to catch the golden age of organ jazz. But just hearing "Gin & Orange", ect. confirms that Jack's road groups were always smoking. He was no doubt the best jazz organ bandleader ever. Also, interesting to hear the Joe Dukes/Mel Lewis story. And a Jimmy Reed/Jack McDuff double bill would make me pee in my pants....those must have been the days! Quote
Stereojack Posted January 15, 2006 Report Posted January 15, 2006 I saw McDuff's group at Connolly's in Boston back around 1966. The band was McDuff, Joe Dukes, Danny Turner (sax) & Pat Martino. My friends and I were especially impressed with Martino, and wondered who was this white kid playing all this beautiful stuff with this greasy band? At the time, we thought Danny Turner was very lame, having a hard time cutting it, but looking back, I think that maybe he was just having a bad night, because he later turned up with Count Basie & others, and was fine. Joe Dukes was a real showman - at one point he went around the room during a solo, playing off people's tables & chairs. I know, it sounds corny, but the (mostly black) audience dug it, and I will say that this band really rocked! A memorable evening all around! Quote
marcello Posted January 15, 2006 Report Posted January 15, 2006 (edited) Joe Dukes is BAAAAAD! Is he still with us? I'm sorry, I see he passed away. This from Pete Fallico - April 1995: "The great drummer Joe Dukes passed away recently, and I mention this because I know how much Jack thought of him. Joe's contribution to the combo was immeasurable. "Back in those days," Jack reminds us, "there wasn't such thing as a rhythm section...Here you got nothin' but drums and organ, so the drums had to be a little more independent and not depend on a bass...The drums was the sole source of rhythm. If the drummer had good rhythm, the band felt good...and Joe had the hardest job of anybody. He had to swing and swing hard. He had to play funk. He had to play the shuffle. He had to play ballads. He had to play Latin, and that's a lot of hats to wear. " Edited January 15, 2006 by marcello Quote
Soul Stream Posted January 16, 2006 Author Report Posted January 16, 2006 I envy you Stereojack!!!! Where's a time machine when you really need one. Quote
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