This recording is a delight! Though as a general rule I believe the Hammond B-3 is better suited to rock than jazz, Jack McDuff has always been a tasty exception to the rule. Here he demonstrates why: restraint, great taste and support for his bandstand colleagues, and a very deep groove. He brings in a remarkably high-quality supporting cast here, including Red Holloway on tenor sax on five of nine tracks, Grady Tate on drums on six of them, and George Benson on guitar on three. Guitarist John Hart, altoist Andrew Beals, tenorman Jerry Weldon, bassist Frank Gravis, and drummer Rudy Petschauer add to the festivities as well. The CD opens with Eddie Harris’ “Cold Duck Time,” signifying right away that patting of feet will be an autonomic physical response right through to McDuff’s “Pettin’ the Cat,” which closes out the proceedings.
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