Jack McDuff

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," Bacharach-David's "Walk on By," and the Motown hit "Too Many Fish in the Sea." But this stuff is hardly the sellout some might suspect; on the contrary, they're pretty cool and fun renditions, with a good sense of verve and humor. And for those who want at least a little material with clearer jazz roots, there's a frantic, joyous run through George Benson's "Rock-a-Bye," on which the guitarist also plays. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide