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Jack McDuff
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Birth name
Eugene McDuffy
Name
Jack McDuff
Years active
1960–2001
Instruments
Organ, vocals
Role
Organist
Labels
Prestige, Atlantic, Blue Note, Concord
Associated acts
George Benson, Gene Ammons, Dick Morrissey, Jerry Weldon
Died
January 23, 2001, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres
Jazz, Soul jazz, Hard bop, Jazz-funk, Rhythm and blues
Albums
Sophisticated Funk, Brother Jack McDuff Li, To Seek a New Home, Brother Jack Meets the Boss, George Benson & Jack McD
Occupation(s)
Musician, bandleader
1964 brother jack mcduff quartet live video
Eugene McDuff, better known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff, (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001) was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio. He is also credited with giving guitarist George Benson his first break.
Born Eugene McDuffy in Champaign, Illinois, McDuff began playing bass, appearing in Joe Farrell's group. Encouraged by Willis Jackson in whose band he also played bass in the late 1950s, McDuff moved to the organ and began to attract the attention of Prestige while still with Jackson's group. McDuff soon became a bandleader, leading groups featuring a young George Benson on guitar, Red Holloway on saxophone and Joe Dukes on drums.
McDuff recorded many classic albums on Prestige, including his debut solo Brother Jack in 1960; The Honeydripper (1961), with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest and guitarist Grant Green; Brother Jack Meets The Boss (1962), featuring Gene Ammons; and Screamin’ (1962) with alto saxophonist Leo Wright and Kenny Burrell on guitar.
After his tenure at Prestige, McDuff joined the Atlantic label for a brief period, and in the 1970s he recorded for Blue Note. To Seek a New Home (1970) was recorded in England with a line-up featuring blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon and some of Britain's top jazz musicians of the day, including Terry Smith on guitar and Dick Morrissey on tenor sax.
Decreasing interest in jazz and blues during the late 1970s and 1980s meant that many jazz musicians went through a lean time. But in 1988, with The Re-Entry, recorded for the Muse label, McDuff once again began a successful period of recordings, initially for Muse, then on the Concord Jazz label in 1991. George Benson appeared on his 1992 Color Me Blue album.
Despite health problems, McDuff continued working and recording throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and he toured Japan with Atsuko Hashimoto in 2000. "Captain" Jack McDuff, as he later became known, died of heart failure at the age of 74 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As leader
Prestige Records
Brother Jack (Prestige, 1960) -with Bill Jennings [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66714) in 2011]
Tough 'Duff (Prestige, 1960) -with Jimmy Forrest, Lem Winchester [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66714) in 2011]
The Honeydripper (Prestige, 1961) -with Jimmy Forrest, Grant Green [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66717) in 2013]
Goodnight, It's Time to Go (Prestige, 1961) -with Harold Vick, Grant Green [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66717) in 2013]
On With It! (Prestige, 1961 [rel. 1971]) -with Harold Vick
Brother Jack Meets the Boss [also released as Mellow Gravy] (Prestige, 1962) -with Gene Ammons [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66721) in 2015]
Stitt Meets Brother Jack [also released as 'Nuther Fu'ther] (Prestige, 1962) -with Sonny Stitt [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66718) in 2013]
Screamin' (Prestige, 1962) -with Leo Wright, Kenny Burrell
Lift Every Voice And Sing (JAM [Jazz America Marketing] 016, 1984)
The Re-Entry (Muse MR-5361, 1988) -with Cecil Bridgewater, Houston Person [note: reissued on 32 Jazz in 1997; reissued again on Savoy Jazz in 2003]
Another Real Good 'Un (Muse MR-5374, 1990) -with Cecil Bridgewater, Houston Person [note: reissued on 32 Jazz in 1999; reissued again on Savoy Jazz in 2003]
Jack-Pot (Red [Italy] 123267, 1991 [rel. 1997])
Concord Jazz Records
Color Me Blue (Concord Jazz, 1992) -with George Benson
Write On, Capt'n (Concord Jazz, 1993)
The Heatin' System (Concord Jazz, 1994)
It's About Time (Concord Jazz, 1995) -with Joey DeFrancesco
That's The Way I Feel About It (Concord Jazz, 1996) -with Chris Potter
(Down Home) Blues (Concord Jazz, 1997) -with Gene Harris
Bringin' It Home (Concord Jazz, 1998) -with Red Holloway, George Benson
Brotherly Love (Concord Jazz, 2001) -with Red Holloway, Pat Martino
LP/CD compilations
Brother Jack McDuff's Greatest Hits (Prestige 7481, 1967)
Brother Jack McDuff Plays For Beautiful People (Prestige 7596, 1968)
The Best Of Brother Jack McDuff Live! (Prestige 7703, 1969)
The Best Of Brother Jack McDuff & The Big Soul Band (Prestige 7771, 1970) -with Benny Golson
Rock Candy (Prestige 24013, 1972) [2LP]
George Benson/Jack McDuff (Prestige 24072, 1977 [2LP]; CD finally released in 2007) (compilation of The New Boss Guitar Of George Benson + Hot Barbeque)
Crash! Jack McDuff Featuring Kenny Burrell (Prestige, 1994) (compilation of Somethin' Slick! + Crash!)
Brother Red: Red Holloway With Jack McDuff, George Benson, Joe Dukes (Prestige, 1994) (compilation of Cookin' Together + 3 tracks from The Dynamic Jack McDuff, and "Redwood City"...originally released on the various artists compilation The Soul Jazz Giants [Prestige 7791] in 1971)
Live! (Prestige, 1994) (compilation of Brother Jack McDuff Live! + Brother Jack At The Jazz Workshop Live!)
Legends Of Acid Jazz: Jack McDuff (Prestige, 1997) (compilation drawn from six different McDuff albums; all material recorded July 1964)
Legends Of Acid Jazz: Jack McDuff – Brother Jack (Prestige, 1999) (compilation of Brother Jack + Goodnight, It's Time To Go)
Silken Soul (Prestige, 2000) (compilation drawn from seven different McDuff albums)
The Soulful Drums (Prestige, 2001) (compilation of The Soulful Drums Of Joe Dukes + Hot Barbeque)
The Concert McDuff (Prestige, 2002) (compilation of The Concert McDuff + one track from Hallelujah Time!, two tracks from The Midnight Sun, and one track from I Got A Woman)
The Last Goodun' (Prestige, 2002) (compilation drawn from seven different McDuff albums; material on first seven tracks [the On With It! session] recorded December 1961)
Funk Pie (Recall [UK], 2002) [2CD] (compilation of Concord material)
The Best Of The Concord Years (Concord Jazz, 2003)
Prelude: Jack McDuff Big Band (Prestige, 2003) (compilation of Prelude + 11 bonus tracks featuring McDuff's "large" groups, drawn from five different albums)
Willis Jackson With Jack McDuff – Together Again! (Prestige, 2003) (compilation of Together Again! + Together Again, Again)
The Prestige Years (Prestige, 2004) (compilation drawn from ten different McDuff albums)
Jack McDuff: Eight Classic Albums (Real Gone Jazz [EU], 2013) [4CD] (compilation of Brother Jack; Tough 'Duff; The Honeydripper; Goodnight, It's Time To Go; Kirk's Work; Brother Jack Meets The Boss; Screamin'; Stitt Meets Brother Jack)
As sideman
With Gene Ammons
Twisting the Jug (Prestige, 1961) -with Joe Newman [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66721) in 2015]
Soul Summit (Prestige, 1962) -with Sonny Stitt [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66721) in 2015]
Soul Summit Vol. 2 (Prestige, 1962) -with Etta Jones
With George Benson
The New Boss Guitar of George Benson (Prestige, 1964) -with Red Holloway, Joe Dukes
With Joshua Breakstone
Remembering Grant Green (Evidence, 1993 [rel. 1996])
With Kenny Burrell
Bluesin' Around (Columbia, 1962 [rel. 1983])
With Hank Crawford
Double Cross (Atlantic, 1968)
With Joe Dukes
The Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes (Prestige, 1964) -with Red Holloway, George Benson
With Grant Green
Grantstand (Blue Note, 1961) -with Yusef Lateef
With Gene Harris
Alley Cats [live] (Concord, 1998 [rel. 1999])
With Willis Jackson
Please Mr. Jackson [also released as Cool Grits] (Prestige, 1959) -with Bill Jennings
Cool "Gator" [also released as Keep On A Blowin' ] (Prestige, 1960) -with Bill Jennings
Blue Gator (Prestige, 1960) -with Bill Jennings
Cookin' Sherry (Prestige, rec. 1959/1960 [rel. 1961]) -with Bill Jennings
Together Again! (Prestige, rec. 1959/1960 [rel. 1965]) -with Bill Jennings
Together Again, Again (Prestige, rec. 1959/1960/1961 [rel. 1966]) -with Bill Jennings
The Best of Willis Jackson With Brother Jack McDuff (Prestige 7702, 1969)
With Etta James and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Blues in the Night: The Early Show (Fantasy, 1986) -with Red Holloway, Shuggie Otis
The Late Show: Blues In The Night, Volume 2 (Fantasy, 1987) -with Red Holloway, Shuggie Otis
With Bill Jennings
Enough Said! (Prestige, 1959)
Glide On (Prestige, 1960)
With Roland Kirk
Kirk's Work [also released as Funk Underneath] (Prestige, 1961)
With Carmen McRae
Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West (Concord, 1987) -with Red Holloway, Phil Upchurch
With Mike Pachelli
Meeting Point (Fullblast, 1999)
With Betty Roché
Singin' & Swingin' (Prestige, 1960) -with Jimmy Forrest, Bill Jennings
With Dave Specter
Left Turn On Blue (Delmark, 1995) -with Lynwood Slim
With Sonny Stitt
Soul Shack (Prestige, 1963) [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66718) in 2013]
The Best of Sonny Stitt With Brother Jack McDuff (Prestige 7701, 1969)
The Best of Sonny Stitt With Brother Jack McDuff/For Lovers (Prestige 7769, 1970)
With Winston Walls
Boss of the B3 (Schoolkids, 1993)
With Joe Williams
Nothin' but the Blues (Delos, 1983) -with Red Holloway, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Phil Upchurch
With Jimmy Witherspoon
The Blues Is Now (Verve, 1967) -with Melvin Sparks