Customer Reviews

Honeydripper

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'd been toying with the idea of reviewing this CD for a while, afterall, its probably one of the most important sessions from the entire Hammond B-3 legacy, but I held off because, well to be honest, what is there to say that The Captain didn't say in the music itself ? It needs no explaining (!) If you talk to almost any legit organist who followed in Jack McDuff's shadows (and playing that style of organ of course) he or she will probably tell you how he or she learned to play by grabbing licks and basslines off this album. Though his biggest hit was ROCK CANDY and my personal favorite Jack McDuff CD is definitely LIVE (he really rocks out on Another Good'un ! ! !), this CD clearly set the standard - - and the relaxed tempo grooves (unlike Jimmy Smith's penchant for frenzy) made this easier to study.

Well, now I come back to the Honeydripper. - - Just a day ago I was informed of his passing at the age of 74, so I know that I'll be taking a trip down memory lane. Jack McDuff of course lives on... practically anytime you hear a bluesy or swinging B3 played, The Captain is going to be somewhere in there and you will hear his influence. The truth however, merely experiencing his legacy is not enough. Unless you really dig down and rediscover his music directly, you're really depriving yourself of the groove... McDuff, plain and simple, played with feel... a funk soulful bluesy toe tapping swing that few have ever managed to capture... if you're a B-3 player, you can get as fancy as you want, but if you really want to be good, you have to come to know and understand the McDuff feel... and here it is.

Long live The Captain (and The Burner !)

"The Honeydripper", the title track, has one of those lazy, underhanded shuffle beats that drummers today just don't play. Ben Dixon really knew how to propel an organ combo, as did Grant Green (guitar). This is one of Green's first appearances on record (if not the first, at least on a major label). Right after this, Green would make a series of recordings with Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, Lee Morgan, and others on the Blue Note label, before starting a solo career. Jimmy Forrest rounds out the group on tenor. Very good, well rounded recording.

This is the definitive Jack McDuff album. Intense, soulful, dramatic blues laden jazz- you can smell the perfume and smoke and soul food. Better still, you can hear that organ and the whole band is the best!

brother Jack tore up the Hammond and he has Grant Green on the Axe getting down. the title cut is tight and I dig Dink's blues and Mr. Lucky. very smooth and smoking Album from Brother Jack Mcduff and crew. one of those albums that i just groove to in the summer time.

These cats are cookin'. I took a chance because I like the original Honeydripper by Joe Liggins. Brother Jack on that big B3 is fat bottom. This is the kind of disc I like to wake up to. Gets the juices flowing. Try it, you'll like it.

i hadn't listened to this album in ages&then I just happen to be going through my Discs&Stumbled on this one.had to hear "Dink's Blues" Jack Mcduff was grooving on the Organ&around the 4:30 mark Grant Green laid down His signature Guitar Licks.the drumming was real smooth which was done by Ben Dixon.Jimmy Forrest was cool on Sax.dug the arrangements&overall flow of this Album.the title cut is smooth as well.Brother Jack Mcduff much like Jimmy smith were some of the Godfathers of the Organ.you always knew there touch on the Instrument. this is a cool saturday&Beyond listening type of Album.

As anyone knows organ albun are focused on the blues (jazzy blues) because the organ has a particular strong voice and the right attitude for the blues. So the program legitimatly opens with a nice swinging blues "Whap!" with a line that incorporates some beautiful bebop typical accents. A really nice blues with solos that are perfectly balanced. The bebop sophistication and the blues earthly feeling mixed together with great taste. The McDuff tone on the organ change from one tune to the other, he toyed a little bit wth registers for sure. Let's listen to the sound he has in the second tune (compared to the mighty sound Jack had in "Whap!), the beautiful ballad "I want a little girl"... it seems almost a toy-organ ... nice. It surely helps Jack tells the story of this "little" girl he wanted .. The title track, obviously another blues, shout the word swing. Listen to the wonderful drum work of Ben Dixon. This kind of drumplay would make Mickey Mouse swing! Stellar, for real. It is peculiar the use of the Forrest horn. He often plays riffs to the entire track while Jack solos. It is a nice effect. Grant Green th guitar player was at his first recording if I remember well, but he was mature. He played here with personality and autority. "Dink's blues" is another ... you're right, another blues not too different from the title track to be honest. Almost the same tempo, the same riffs, more or less the same drumplay. The program goes on with a swingin version of Mancini's "Mr Lucky". Honestly a breath of fresh air after all those blues tunes. But the last tune is still another blues, it has a couple of strange changes in the middle, I should have my guitar to say exactly what the're doing, but it's nothing major. Just a couple of variations from the blues form which does not change the substance anyway ... the line is nice but anyway is still another blues (the title is self explanatory "Blues and tonic"). 4 blues on 6 tunes .. surely you have to know this. It is a great collection of organ blues tunes like many organ albums. Generally organ players played some Parker tunes to vary a little bit the program still remaining really near the blues form (I'm talking about Scrapple, DonnaLee, Ornithology) but Jack here didn't do this. It's a shame, I'd like it. Anyway... you have to judge a thing for it is. In the organ blues history, this is a nice record.