Jack McDuff


Eugene McDuffy, known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio. He is also credited with giving guitarist George Benson his first break.

Career

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 1950s, McDuff moved to the organ and began to attract the attention of Prestige while still with Jackson's group. McDuff soon became a bandleader, leading groups featuring a young George Benson on guitar, Red Holloway on tenor saxophone and Joe Dukes on drums.
McDuff recorded many classic albums on Prestige, including his debut solo Brother Jack in 1960; The Honeydripper, with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest and guitarist Grant Green; Brother Jack Meets the Boss, featuring Gene Ammons; Screamin’, with alto saxophonist Leo Wright and guitarist Kenny Burrell; and Brother Jack McDuff Live!, featuring Holloway and Benson, which includes his biggest hit, "Rock Candy".
After his tenure at Prestige, McDuff joined the Atlantic label for a brief period, and in the 1970s he recorded for Blue Note. To Seek a New Home 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 saxophone.
Decreasing interest in jazz and blues during the late 1970s and 1980s meant that many jazz musicians went through a lean time. But in 1988, with The Re-Entry, recorded for the Muse label, McDuff once again began a successful period of recordings, initially for Muse, then on the Concord Jazz label in 1991. George Benson appeared on his 1992 Color Me Blue album.
Despite having health problems, McDuff continued working and recording throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and he toured Japan with Atsuko Hashimoto in 2000. "Capt'n" Jack McDuff, as he later became known, died of heart failure at the age of 74 in Minneapolis, Minneapolis. His first wife, the former Dink Dixon, died in the early 1980s. McDuff was married to his second wife Kathy; Kathy had two children.

Discography

As leader

;Prestige Records
  • Brother Jack -with Bill Jennings
  • Tough 'Duff -with Jimmy Forrest, Lem Winchester
  • The Honeydripper -with Jimmy Forrest, Grant Green
  • Goodnight, It's Time to Go -with Harold Vick, Grant Green
  • On With It! -with Harold Vick
  • Brother Jack Meets the Boss -with Gene Ammons
  • Stitt Meets Brother Jack -with Sonny Stitt
  • Screamin -with Leo Wright, Kenny Burrell
  • Somethin' Slick! -with Kenny Burrell
  • Crash! -with Kenny Burrell
  • Brother Jack McDuff Live! -with Red Holloway, George Benson
  • Brother Jack at the Jazz Workshop Live! -with Red Holloway, Harold Vick, George Benson
  • Prelude -with Benny Golson's big soul band
  • Cookin' Together -with Red Holloway, George Benson, Joe Dukes
  • The Dynamic Jack McDuff -with Benny Golson's big soul band
  • The Concert McDuff -with Red Holloway, George Benson
  • Silk and Soul -with Red Holloway, George Benson
  • Hot Barbeque -with Red Holloway, George Benson
  • Walk On By -with Red Holloway, Harold Ousley, Pat Martino
  • Hallelujah Time!
  • The Midnight Sun
  • Soul Circle
  • I Got a Woman
  • Steppin' Out
;Atlantic Records
;Cadet/GRT Records
  • The Natural Thing
  • Getting Our Thing Together -with Richard Evans
  • Gin and Orange
  • The Heatin' System
  • Check This Out
  • The Fourth Dimension
  • Magnetic Feel
  • Sophisticated Funk
;Blue Note Records
  • Down Home Style
  • Moon Rappin
  • To Seek a New Home
  • Who Knows What Tomorrow's Gonna Bring?
;Other labels
;Concord Jazz Records
  • Color Me Blue -with George Benson
  • Write On, Capt'n
  • The Heatin' System
  • It's About Time -with Joey DeFrancesco
  • That's The Way I Feel About It -with Chris Potter
  • Blues -with Gene Harris
  • Bringin' It Home -with Red Holloway, George Benson
  • Brotherly Love -with Red Holloway, Pat Martino

    LP/CD compilations

  • Brother Jack McDuff's Greatest Hits
  • Brother Jack McDuff Plays For Beautiful People
  • The Best Of Brother Jack McDuff Live!
  • The Best Of Brother Jack McDuff & The Big Soul Band -with Benny Golson
  • Rock Candy
  • George Benson/Jack McDuff
  • Crash! Jack McDuff Featuring Kenny Burrell
  • Brother Red: Red Holloway With Jack McDuff, George Benson, Joe Dukes
  • Live!
  • Legends Of Acid Jazz: Jack McDuff
  • Legends Of Acid Jazz: Jack McDuff – Brother Jack
  • Silken Soul
  • The Soulful Drums
  • The Concert McDuff
  • The Last Goodun'
  • Funk Pie
  • The Best Of The Concord Years
  • Prelude: Jack McDuff Big Band
  • Willis Jackson With Jack McDuff – Together Again!
  • The Prestige Years
  • Jack McDuff: Eight Classic Albums
  • Brother Jack McDuff: The Classic Albums 1960–1963
  • Brother Jack McDuff/George Benson Quartet: The Legendary 1963–64 Concerts

    As sideman

With Gene Ammons
With George Benson
With Joshua Breakstone
  • Remembering Grant Green
With Kenny Burrell
  • Bluesin' Around
With Hank Crawford
  • Double Cross
With King Curtis
  • Old Gold
With Lou Donaldson
  • A Man With a Horn
With Joe Dukes
  • The Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes -with Red Holloway, George Benson
With Grant Green
With Al Grey
With Roy Hargrove
  • The Vibe
With Gene Harris
  • Alley Cats
With Willis Jackson
  • "Good To The Bone" b/w "Making It" -with Bill Jennings
  • Please Mr. Jackson -with Bill Jennings
  • Cool "Gator" -with Bill Jennings
  • Blue Gator -with Bill Jennings
  • Cookin' Sherry -with Bill Jennings
  • Together Again! -with Bill Jennings
  • Together Again, Again -with Bill Jennings
  • The Best of Willis Jackson With Brother Jack McDuff
With Etta James and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
With Bill Jennings
  • Enough Said!
  • Glide On
With Roland Kirk
  • Kirk's Work
With Carmen McRae
With Mike Pachelli
  • Meeting Point
With Houston Person
  • The Real Thing 2LP
With Betty Roché
  • Singin' & Swingin -with Jimmy Forrest, Bill Jennings
With Shakey Jake
  • Good Times
With Dave Specter
With Sonny Stitt
  • Soul Shack
  • The Best of Sonny Stitt With Brother Jack McDuff
  • The Best of Sonny Stitt With Brother Jack McDuff/For Lovers
With Winston Walls
  • Boss of the B3
With Joe Williams
  • Nothin' but the Blues -with Red Holloway, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Phil Upchurch
With Jimmy Witherspoon
With Kankawa'
  • Organ Meeting