[HAM] BLINDFOLD TEST Number 6- The Answers

[Randal Muir]

That's quite a detailed ear you've got there Scott. Must be whats left of 
the violinist in you. I misunderstood which chord you were referring to and 
thought you meant the bridge, but even then missed out a lot of detail in 
that.  Would never have been able to pick out that 4th stack.   I'll be 
using that first bridge and maybe the 2nd if I'm not too lazy.  Thanks for 
the track and the info.  It's a tragedy that McDuff didn't really have any 
mainstream recognition.  I remember one other track of his you posted that 
had an unbelievable arrangement and execution.

cheers -Randal

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "OF" <scott195 at centurytel.net>
To: "The Hammond Forum" <hammond at zeni.net>
Cc: <organ-ized at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 1:43 PM
Subject: [HAM] BLINDFOLD TEST Number 6- The Answers


> Well, the fire's lit and it's time for another bedtime story from Old 
> Uncle
> Scott.
>
> The tune was Brother Jack McDuff, playing his original composition,
> "Walkin' The Dog." Live in Seattle, 1982, along with close to 40 other
> tunes he let me record that week and on another visit. All of the material
> is stupendous, or at worst, very good. I used to have much of it up on my
> site, but most of it's been gone for quite a while now. I may put some up
> again soon. He hauled his own broken-down B-3 around in a van with an
> apartment built into the back of it and an equipment bay behind that. We
> sat back there and smoked bowls. Yup. Send somebody to arrest us. The more
> he smoked the better he played. (Do not try this at home, kids.) He caught
> me one morning playing his organ (I worked there). He was rapping with his
> rings on the glass to get in. That's when the lessons began. He didn't say
> a lot but he demo'd a lot and had me play for him, where he would stop me
> and suggest better ways, always using humor. He was unbelievably kind, and
> supportive. He could play a lot more changes than he usually let on. The
> evidence is on the tapes.
>
> The mystery chord would be known in school as a fourth-stack. In the key 
> of
> 'C,' the notes from the bottom up were F, Bb, Eb, and Ab. Sometimes the
> bottom 'F' was left off. The effect was tremendous partly because of the
> way he would trail it off by glissing the top note (or sometimes the top 2
> or 3 notes) all the way up to high 'C.' It had kind of a human-voice
> effect, like a woman saying "HUHHH???" or "YEAH?"
>
> Here are the chords for the TWO different bridges. I don't know if anyone
> here will try this, but if even one person does it will be worth posting,
> for the record. Did anyone notice the tune has TWO different bridges?
> McDuff thought differently than everybody else. These chords require a 
> hand
> span of a tenth, sorry. Try it; it is very satisfying to hear yourself 
> play it.
>
> The first bridge begins at 1:48, and it goes D7#9, spelled (D bass) F#, C,
> F, A, up to the same in Eb a half-step up, then D7#9b5, spelled (D bass)
> F#, C, F,  G#, then down to the same thing in Db (Db bass) F, B, Eb, G, 
> and
> then back home to C9, or actually, the C fourth-stack. (Jams in C9.)
>
> Second bridge, channel, or whatever it's called, starts at 3:17.
> The first chord is Gm11 with a C bass. C (bass), Bb, F, A, C. Some
> academics may want to call it a C13sus4th. I don't care! It is what it is.
> Next chord, I don't know what to call it, but simply raise the 'C' on top
> to 'C# and drop the 'F' to 'E." OK Alan, it's a C13b9. And now comes the
> "tri-tone substitution" trick. Keep that chord in your right hand if it
> hasn't cramped-up yet, but change the bass to F#! Wo, now it's turned into
> an, an, let's see, F#7#9. Man, I told you 'Duff knew what he was doin'. 
> Now
> the whole kit and kaboodle goes down chromatically by half-steps to wind 
> up
> in the key of Eb, where they stay and jam for eight bars! Sounds just like
> the head in 'C' but it's Eb7#9 instead.
>
> He's gotta get outta this and back to the key of 'C," so here's how that's
> done, if anybody's still reading:
> Play A13 as a passing chord, (A bass) G, C#, F#, then directly down to the
> same thing in 'Ab,' (Ab bass), Gb, C, F, then hold the right-hand chord 
> but
> change the bass to 'D' (tri-tone sub making a D7#9), then up to pop on the
> same thing in Eb (Eb bass) G, Db, Gb. Break immediately for one bar ONLY
> while playing the 'C' bass line, then hit the C fourth-stack. Whew!
>
> It's ridiculous to write all this down but few people really read music
> anymore, and this performance is not on records, I think maybe. I have
> regularly played this arrangement for many years (it's not that difficult
> with a little practice) and it never fails to bring the house down.
>
> One more important detail, the bass line. It begins as C G A G Bb G Db,
> (C). I'll leave the rhythm to your own ears. For some reason, after 2:05,
> the Db disappears and turns into a G, and never returns. All versions I've
> heard do that. It is easier that way, and maybe not as tuff, as in McTuff.
> Chalk it up to a couple of bowls.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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