Jack McDuff, Gene Piccalo, Bobby Peterson #3

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 50s, McDuff moved to the organ and began to attract the attention of Prestige Records while still with Jackson's group. McDuff soon became a bandleader, leading groups featuring a young George Benson, 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, and Brother Jack Meets The Boss (1962), featuring Gene Ammons, and Screamin (1962).

After his tenure at Prestige, McDuff joined the Atlantic Records label for a brief period and then in the 70s 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.

The decreasing interest in jazz and blues patent during the late 70s and 1980s meant that many jazz musicians went through a lean time and it wasn't until the late 1980s, with The Re-Entry, recorded for the Muse label in 1988, that McDuff once again began a successful period of recordings, initially for Muse, then on the Concord Jazz label from 1991. George Benson appeared on his mentors 1992 Colour Me Blue album.

Despite health problems, McDuff continued working and recording throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and 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.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jack
• McDuff
• Gene
• Piccalo
• Jazz
• drums
• Buddy
• Rich
• Ed
• Thigpen
• Oscar
• Peterson
• Peter
• Erskine
• Jimmy
• Smith
• Roy
• Haynes

[bigbiggityben]

I'm quite happy that Jack McDuff found peace and made his final home Minneapolis, because you can see by these guys right here that they appreciated him enough to biographically document his image, his voice, and his creative work which I hope will be around for posterity. I'm amazed that we in the U.S. failed to document these creative geniuses while Europe and Asia seemed to document these talented black artists for the last 8o-to-100 years.

[bopplayer]

@bigbiggityben not only appreciated him but were intimidated as hell by him! Jack and the drummer here Gene were very close friends.

[bigbiggityben]

@bigbiggityben I can take the word intimidated as an ambiguous term. Jack's talent was intimidating, him having the patience to sit & be interviewed for posterity the same. However, I loved his style, his talent, his uniqueness, & maybe that tough veneer that he at times displayed was just a means of protecting his nobility. I can understand when you think of so many geniuses beyond McDuff that died so young. Again, I'm thankful for the lady that picked him up & possibly gave him 10 more yrs.

[bopplayer]

@bigbiggityben they were intimidated by his talent and credentials, personally he was a great and playful fun guy. He always said: "The world don't owe me anything."

[DrFunkenstenz]

Gene was my first and only drum teacher I've had so far. He was one of the coolest teachers I could ask for. He was always teaching me to play along to funk and jazz like Brother Jack McDuff, AWB, and Tower of Power. He was an incredible drummer and an even better human being. I just came aware of his passing yesterday, it's a sad loss, but I will always remember Mr Gene Piccalo. RIP

*On another note: does anyone know the name of the first song being played???

[dazzjazz]

Great tune at start of video

[goodgooglegoo]

OH ,,,,, My ,,,,, GAWD !!!!!!!!!!!

[bigbiggityben]

@bopplayer I remember seeing him for the first time at the Blue Note Lounge on Lyndale and 10th Ave. No. about 1965, with George Benson, and Red Holloway, & Joe Dukes (I believe). But that was the time that the TCs was on top with several talented Jazz organists, i.e. the Frank Edwards trio, Bobby Lyle trio. Bobby's brother-in-law Billy Holliman, & Hubert Eaves were just get started, so was Charles Earland, and several others who graced the Blue Note Lounge from Friday PM thru Blue Mondays.