Jack McDuff, Billy Holloman, Gene Piccalo & Friends

Jack McDuff, Gene Piccalo, Tim Sparks, Billy Holloman and more.

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:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Fairmont
• WV Brother Mc Duff
• Joe Dukes
• George Benson
• Hard Bop
• bebop Rock Candy

[ABAisSCIENCE]

There's those who sit there & enjoy the atmosphere & there's those who really listen & realize real music is being played.

I think the musician knows that both living with the atmosphere (macro - telescope) & studying the music (micro - microscope) are fine, but the key is always the environment being provided or listen first with the macro ear first before the micro.

Great video Bopplayer.

I loved it when Moko Bovo played & talked between sets as the atmosphere was always maintained.

[bopplayer]

Sometimes the atmsosphere is great at an upscale place like the Dakota, but equally as great at the old Artist Quarter, a dingy smelly little joint with great hot wings and Dago sandwiches.

[bopplayer]

Right at 3:58 Jack plays his famous lick that he called: "Abada"

[victoraudiolp]

Who's is the first, before Jack? Looks like Jimmy Smith...but I don't don't know. Anyway, great job, and fantastic block sound, work!!! Halleluja

[bopplayer]

Billy Holloman

[bopplayer]

Also Tim Sparks on Guitar

[dazzjazz]

@hotmediaplay did that dvd come out? the one you mentioned about Billy Holloman?

[goodgooglegoo]

AMAZING !!!

[SRVMOE]

I love the stuff Jack did with

George Benson & Pat Martino.....

also the Willis Jackson grooves with them....

[TCGUITAR]

Great Video. Billy Holloman, Captain Jack, Roberta Davis... most fun I ever had was playing at the Spruce Club.

That's D.T., Donald Thomas on drums. Don't get no better.

[donberryman]

This is obviously at the Old Dakota in St Paul, before they Moved to Minneapolis.

For many years Billy Holloman held down Tuesday nights at the Artists' Quarter in St Paul (He recorded a CD there too), now Bill Brown is doing it. I really miss Jack, his years in the Twin Cities gave me many opportunities to hear him - at the Artists' Quarter, Dakota, Blues Alley and the festivals. Jack McDuff was one of the giants. Thanks for posting this.

[hotmediaplay]

There is a DVD coming out this fsll with Billy Holloman live and it features the Jack McDuff Duet. I've seen a preview and it's smokin!

[EddieLandsberg]

You know, I used to play gigs where we'd switch organists between choruses and keep the bass going, and I must say, not many organists can boast to being thin enough to squeeze between a Leslie and Hammond that close together... pretty impressive... This footage is really rare... great to get to see it... Its tragic that so little footage of Brother Jack in action exists... :-(