[HAM] McDuff - Listen

[Toussaint]

Its definitely a Mc Duff arrangement, no mistake bout that!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Organfreak" <scott195 at centurytel.net>
To: "The Hammond Forum" <hammond at zeni.net>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 11:56 PM
Subject: [HAM] McDuff - Listen


>
> Let's play the Jack McDuff feel good hit of the summer off some more of my
> old vinyl. I have seen this record ("Do It Now!," Atlantic) on CD, but
> rarely. It's bright yellow so you can't miss it.
>
> I'll do a write-up on it, but here's the link if you want to skip the 
> blather:
> <www.organfreak.com/listen/McDuff-StrollingBlues.mp3>  (3.35 MB, MONO)
> MONO because that's the way the record is.
>
> When Jack came to Atlantic, he was missing his classic group of Geo.
> Benson, guitar, Red Holloway, tenor sax, and Joe Dukes, drums. So here we
> have Melvin Sparks, guitar, Leo Johnson and Danny Turner, saxophones, and
> Ray Appleton, drums. (I once knew his brother, Crabby.) That didn't slow
> him down much-- he still made these outrageous arrangements out of
> formerly-simple blues, like this one in 'F.'
>
> The tune features breaks that are two full choruses long where the soloist
> has to really hang it out there by himself-- both a compliment and a
> challenge from our diabolical band leader. These may not be the greatest
> soloists in the world, but McDuff's bass and comping are so much fun, so
> swinging and varied, and so clearly-recorded that I like to just sit and
> listen to him, to heck with the soloists.
>
> Something that Jack liked to do was make the one chord (F7) nice and 
> noisy,
> with lots going on, then when going to the four (Bb7), there's a loud hit
> on a big Bb13th and then everything quiets down to let the soloist get 
> into
> it. Countless organ players have done it since, but I think he started it.
>
> Bass line aficionados, if they haven't before, should really pay attention
> to how he makes his patented, subtle variations in his bass line. The
> pattern is somewhat set for the tune, but it never stays the same; it's
> always varying and moving in unexpected directions. And, here I go again 
> on
> this, there are SPACES between the notes, unlike most of the other organ
> players. (His fingers were bouncing up in the air. Standing behind him, 
> you
> should have heard all the clacking from his left-hand rings.) This makes
> the notes punchier, and it gives more space for the grace notes. Notice 
> how
> prominent his decorations are, and it swings hard!
>
> The drum solo gets a whole new chord progression. It's a sort of musical
> joke, a never-ending vamp of II-Vs. Then back to the head. Being one of 
> the
> uncommon jazz organists who could play full chords with his left hand on
> the LM, he then can rip off a few new ones after the closing chord.
>
> And yes, the percussion is set to slow decay. How 'bout that!
>
>
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