Jack McDuff Prelude CD

Prelude was a successful match of McDuff's small-combo organ jazz with big band arrangements by Benny Golson. In part, that was because the blend was well-executed, never fighting with or drowning out McDuff's organ. But it was also because the mixture made it stand out amidst the scads of organ jazz records being churned out in the early '60s. While a very young George Benson was in the core quartet on guitar, a dozen others supplemented the players, including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and saxophones. McDuff wrote about half the material, and while Golson was responsible for just one number, it's the standout title track, "Prelude." That nine-minute piece moves from an opening of almost classical orchestrated grand solemnity to a slow-bopping section dwelling on McDuff's mourning organ. Nothing else on the album matches it, but the rest is pretty good, sometimes leading off with other Golson orchestrations; Benson gets a chance to steal the solo spotlight for a bit in "Dig Cousin Will." The 2003 CD reissue of the album more than doubles its length with 11 bonus tracks, all taken from 1964-1966 sessions (originally released on five different LPs) which were either arranged and conducted by Golson, or featured Benny Golson's Big Band as players. ~ Richie Unterberger

Though the first nine tracks of this CD duplicate McDuff's original Prelude LP (recorded in December 1963), this expanded reissue more than doubles its length with 11 bonus tracks. All of the bonus cuts are taken from 1964-1966 sessions (originally released on five different LPs) which were either arranged and conducted by Benny Golson (who also arranged and conducted on the Prelude album), or featured the Benny Golson Quartet as players. Prelude itself was a successful match of McDuff's small-combo organ-jazz with big band arrangements by Benny Golson. In part that was because the blend was well-executed, never fighting with or drowning out McDuff's organ. But also it was because the mixture made it stand out amidst the scads of organ jazz records being churned out in the early '60s. While a very young George Benson was in the core quartet on guitar, a dozen others supplemented the players, the additional instrumentation including trumpets, trombones, French horns, and saxophones. McDuff wrote about half the material, and while Golson was responsible for just one number, it's the standout title track, "Prelude." That nine-minute piece moves from an opening of almost classical orchestrated grand solemnity,to a slow-bopping section dwelling on McDuff's mourning organ. Nothing else on the album matches it, but the rest is pretty good, sometimes leading off with other Golson orchestrations; Benson gets a chance to steal the solo spotlight for a bit in "Dig Cousin Will." The bonus material tends toward a more pop-oriented repertoire than Prelude does, with covers of soundtrack themes by Elmer Bernstein ("Theme From The Carpetbaggers") and Henry Mancini ("Theme From The Pink Panther"), and versions of "Shortnin' Bread," Bachar

Live Recording

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey between 1963 & 1966.

Personnel: Jack McDuff (piano, celesta, organ); George Benson , Pat Martino (guitar); George Marge (saxophone); Marvin Holladay (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Harold Ousley, Red Holloway (tenor saxophone); Jerry Kail, Danny Stiles (trumpet); Bob Northern, Don Ashworth (French horn); Tom McIntosh, Billy Byers, Burt Collins (trombone); Joe Dukes, Mel Lewis (drums); Willie Rodriguez (percussion).

Audio Remasterer: Kirk Felton.

Liner Note Authors: Michael Gold; Lew Futterman.

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (12/24/1963-02/??/1966).

Arranger: David Guion.

Personnel includes: Jack McDuff (piano, celeste, Hammond B-3 organ); Benny Golson (arranger, conductor); Red Holloway, Harold Ousley (tenor saxophone); George Benson, Pat Martino (guitar); Richard Davis (bass); Joe Dukes, Mel Lewis (drums); Willie Rodrigu