JACK MCDUFF

A great jazz organist, Brother Jack McDuff's work for Prestige is rightly acknowledged as classic by both the jazz dance fraternity and the mainstream-modem jazz audience alike.

Hot Barbecue and Live are two Prestige albums, made in 1965 and 66, respectively (and originally issued as Prestige 7422 and 7274). Now they are available again. McDuff made many fine albums with the cream of guitarists (his Screaming LP, for instance, has Kenny Burrell. These albums feature the added bonus of the young George Benson. Made when he was just a budding jazz guitarist, and a short time before his big jazz debut on Columbia, these sides offer the opportunity to hear a great jazz talent, long before he found the international pop-jazz-entertainer fame of Breezin' and White Rabbit. The drummer is McDuff's regular percussionist Joe Dukes, the saxophonist Red Holloway and this quartet were a hard, swinging mainstream-modern outfit with a strong, gospel vein that lets you know that their music has roots. The tracks are a mix of McDuff originals, pop tunes (The Party's Over), show tunes (It Ain't Necessarily So), R&B (Cry Me A River) and a truly bizarre source for improvisation Whistle While You Work.