Brother Jack McDuff - 1964 - The Dynamic Jack McDuff (vinyl 24 9

Brother Jack McDuff - 1964 - The Dynamic Jack McDuff
Vinyl rip at 24 bits, 96 KHz

After Jack McDuff's third best sellingalbum in a row, Brother Jack/Live! At The Jazz Workshop (Prestige 7286) had been out about a month, the management of Prestige Records and myself began discussing the idea of doing an album with McDuff employing a full orchestra. We tossed the idea back and forth for a while, rather inconclusively, and then let it drop. Our results, we reasoned, had been so good with his usual quartet format, why take the chance on coming out with another "organ versus big band to see who can play the loudest" album? Jack had exhibited such a unique facility for blending sensitivity and excitement to this point that none of us could envision a way of equalling or bettering it with a big band. But none of us was a
Benny Golson.
It was at Birdland, two weeks later, that Benny first became involved in the project. McDuff had opened that night, and I was down there to see him. Through some mutual friends, Benny and I ended up at the same table. While I was well aware of his writing, playing, and arranging, we had never before met. I asked him how he liked McDuff. He said, “Great!” Since he was unaware what my relationship was to Jack, I pushed him a little further by telling him I didn’t like Jack's playing. His response was immediate. “You're entitled to your opinion, but I’ve never heard a jazz organist play with the feeling this man has. He shows such a great emotional quality, such a sympathy for the music that I could listen to him all night."
At this point, I apologized and asked him to explain to me further what he meant. He proceeded to say what I had felt since first hearing Jack play but had never been able to verbalize so succinctly—namely, that Jack McDuff exhibits a rare intuitive understanding of jazz, and, of music in general. Nothing he plays seems stiff or structured, moving instinctively from one musical idea to the next, with no apparent disparity between what he feels he wants to play and what he can play. The excitement he generates is organic rather than forced, almost as if he were thinking with his fingers.
To the man (and woman), the rest of the table agreed. Then my friend proceeded to tell Benny that I was both McDuff’s manager and recording director. A rather shy person, he blushed up a storm—even more so after I asked him how he’d feel about writing some arrangements for McDuff. But the blush left quickly when he said, “Only if I can write what I want to." I started to give him a qualified "yes," but decided better of it. A man of Benny Golson’s talent with this much faith in an artist deserves a free hand. He got it. It's his album, and Jack's—and between them, they deserve an awful lot of credit.
The Brother Jack McDuff-Benny Golson combination looks to me as if its going to be an enduring one. They share a conviction, which I also hold, that Jazz is Music—that it should not only be a means of expression for an artist but a source of enjoyment to the listener. They believe that, rather than having as his purpose the preservation of the purity of the art form, the jazz musician should use his art to more fully express a musical idea. And, if certain ideas, effects, etc., not generally associated with jazz make this expression more effective, they are to be used whether or not they please the "purists" and their allies, the "hipsters."
Along these lines, Benny has created a latitude of sound combination and musical colorations far outside of the range of the normal jazz big band album and, certainly, strikingly different from what anyone has heretofore done with the jazz organ. Employing woodwinds, cellos, and a percussionist playing a whole array of musical instruments, he has managed to present Jack McDuff in an almost unbelievably imaginative musical framework.
As could be expected, Jack’s playing shows itself to the fullest advantage under these circumstances. Rather than being repressed by the large orchestra as have many other jazz musicians in the past on their first big band dates, he takes each nuance, each coloration as a challenge to his own creativity and proceeds to exhibit an artistry and excitement far surpassing anything he has previously done. Along these lines, a great deal of credit must be given to two regular members of McDuff’s group, George Benson, Guitar and Red Holloway, Tenor, who play so marvelously on their solo parts. They, along with the other members of the orchestra, contributed enormously to making the creation of this album such a pleasure to be involved in—almost as much of a pleasure as I feel you’re going to have listening to it.
JACK McDUFF—Born and raised in central Illinois—No formal musical training—taught self to read music and play piano while in Navy—toured with various R & B bands 1948-54—formed own jazz group 1954—broke group up 1957 and quit music shortly after—returned to jazz 1958 as bass player—began playing organ same year and soon joined Willis Jackson’s combo when regular organist left—formed own group 1959 and has stayed with the quartet format ever since.
BENNY GOLSON—Born and raised in Philadelphia—Studied music at Howard University—toured with several bands during early 1950’s—Joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in 1956 and played throughout the world—began writing and arranging extensively during this period—wrote I Remember Clifford, Stablemates and Whisper Not, 1957—Joined Art Blakey as arranger and saxophonist in 1958—Stayed with him till late 1959 when he formed JAZZTET with Art Farmer—First recording date with group made his tune, Killer Joe, national hit—JAZZTET disbanded in 1962—Has devoted bulk of time since then to writing and arranging. (Lew Futterman)

Track list:
01 - The Carpetbaggers
02 - You Better Love Me
03 - Once In A Lifetime
04 - Pink Panter
05 - Rail Head
06 - What's New
07 - Bossa Nova West

Personnel:
Jack McDuff - organ
Red Holloway - tenor saxophone
George Benson - guitar
Joe Dukes - drums
Unidentified orchestra arranged and conducted by Benny Golson (tracks 1-4)

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