A double-length package of organ/guitar greatness – and a set that features key 60s work by Hammond hero Jack McDuff and guitarist George Benson! First up is The New Boss Guitar Of George Benson – the first album ever cut by Benson as a leader, a cooker of a soul jazz set, recorded back when George was the guitarist in Jack McDuff's classic 60s quartet! The album's almost a McDuff Quartet one – since Jack's on Hammond and Red Holloway is on tenor – but the group's slightly different too, with the surprising additions of Montego Joe on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass! Benson's guitar is amazing throughout – sharp-edged and played with a tightness that's quite different than most of his later work – and titles include "Shadow Dancers", "The Sweet Alice Blues", "Just Another Sunday", "Easy Living", and "Rock A Bye". Next up is Hot Barbeque – one of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". CD

The first album ever cut by George Benson as a leader – a cooker of a soul jazz set, recorded back when George was the guitarist in Jack McDuff's classic 60s quartet! The album's almost a McDuff Quartet one – since Jack's on Hammond and Red Holloway is on tenor – but the group's slightly different too, with the surprising additions of Montego Joe on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass! Benson's guitar is amazing throughout – sharp-edged and played with a tightness that's quite different than most of his later work – and titles include "Shadow Dancers", "The Sweet Alice Blues", "Just Another Sunday", "Easy Living", and "Rock A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album ever cut by George Benson as a leader – a cooker of a soul jazz set, recorded back when George was the guitarist in Jack McDuff's classic 60s quartet! The album's almost a McDuff Quartet one – since Jack's on Hammond and Red Holloway is on tenor – but the group's slightly different too, with the surprising additions of Montego Joe on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass! Benson's guitar is amazing throughout – sharp-edged and played with a tightness that's quite different than most of his later work – and titles include "Shadow Dancers", "The Sweet Alice Blues", "Just Another Sunday", "Easy Living", and "Rock A Bye". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". The CD adds four tracks, including "Slow Scene", "The Man From Toledo". and the previously unreleased "Let Them Talk"! CD

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". This is the earlier version of the CD – without the bonus tracks on the later reissue. CD

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)". CD

Features work from old music partners George Benson on guitar and Red Holloway on tenor! CD

A killer live set from Hammond genius Jack McDuff – one of a few totally smoking records he did in this style for Prestige during the 60s! The group's a quartet, with stunning work from the young George Benson on guitar, burning tenor from Red Holloway, and amazing drums from Joe Dukes – one of the few players on the kit who really got the right energy to match McDuff on the keys! The album's filled with screamin' groovers throughout, including a great version of "Girl From Ipanema", plus originals like "Another Goodun" and "S'Okay". McDuff was always best in a live setting – and this rare gem is a great testament to that fact! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer diller of a live set from Brother Jack McDuff – a cut that burns with energy that almost beats his studio 60s classics for Prestige! The group is one of Jack's best ever – a lineup that includes the twin tenors of Red Holloway and Harold Vick, plus incredibly sharp guitar from a young George Benson, and some of the most unique soul jazz drum work you'll ever hear – courtesy of the amazing Joe Dukes. Despite their individual strengths, which might make this whole thing an ego-fest – all players fit perfectly into place on the album's hard wailing batch of groovers, and groove together with a sympathetic energy that's simply amazing! Titles include a great remake of "Jive Samba", plus "Dink's Blues", "Grease Monkey", "Passing Through", and "Vas Dis". This is the kind of thing live recording equipment was made for! LP, Vinyl record album

2 of the greatest albums ever by Jack McDuff – back to back on one CD! Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes was originally issued under the name of McDuff's famous mid-60s funky drummer, Joe Dukes – but it's actually a McDuff session, recorded with the classic quartet lineup that includes Red Holloway on tenor and alto, George Benson on guitar, and Dukes on drums. The album's got an incredible sound, with Dukes' unique approach to drums scattering all over the kit, creating these complicated dancing rhythms for the organ, sax, and guitar lineup. The album's filled with excellent groovers, like "Moohah the D.J.", "Soulful Drums", "Greasy Drums", and "My Three Sons" – and the whole thing's great! Equally sublime is the album Hot Barbeque – probably the strongest of all of McDuff's mid 60s albums, with a coherency and a solidness to the playing that you'd have to work hard to find on other organ group sides from the time. Jack's work on the Hammond is incredible, filled with sharp changes and turns that will leave you breathless, and which will soon make him your favorite organist ever. Benson's guitar is incredible, too – filled with energy and intensity, vamping away at a pace and accuracy that's simply inexplicable. Every single cut's a gem – and the album includes the vocal-driven groover "Hot Barbeque", plus "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", "The Three Day Thang", and "Briar Patch". All That, and the CD also includes the rare bonus track "Redwood City"! CD

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar, laying down some smooth vocals that we never would have imagined from his mid 60s recordings. Includes the massive hit "Give Me The Night", a cover of "Moody's Mood", and the tracks "Star Of A Story (X)", "Midnight Love Affair", "What's On Your Mind", and "Dinorah, Dinorah". The sound of a million supermarkets and elevators during the 80s! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy 70s set from the mighty Jack McDuff – one that has him taking a bit of a Charles Earland turn, as he adds in some other keyboards to his work on Hammond – including some nice bits on Fender Rhode and moog! George Benson plays a fair bit of guitar solos on the set, and the record also features Pee Wee Ellis on alto and tenor, and Ray Mantilla on congas and percussion! Titles include some great long groovers – including "Blue Monsoon", "A Long Goodie", and a nice cover of "Don't Mess With Mister T". LP, Vinyl record album

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer 60s album from Brother Jack McDuff – cut at a time when he was one of the most hard-hitting players on the Hammond! The set has a great lineup – Red Holloway plays tenor on all cuts, except for "The Live People", which features him and Harold Ousley playing back to back – and Joe Dukes is on drums throughout, and the guitar parts are handled by Pat Martino and George Benson – all players who really take off under the leadership of McDuff! Cuts include "Au Private", "East of the Sun", "The Live People", and "Hallelujah Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff – not just for the cover (which is plenty appealing to us as BBQ fans!), but also for the tight, sharply focused grooves on the set – some of Jack's first really firey work on record! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff – not just for the cover (which is plenty appealing to us as BBQ fans!), but also for the tight, sharply focused grooves on the set – some of Jack's first really firey work on record! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic greasy grooves – hot off the grill from chef Jack McDuff! Hot Barbeque is one of our favorite all-time Jack McDuff albums, and one that features his classic quartet in totally amazing form. George Benson's wailing on guitar, and proving that he was a genius, even at this tender young age (and in fact, maybe only at this age!), Red Holloway's on tenor, and the amazing Joe Dukes' is skipping away on drums, dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos. With the short vocal ditty that comprises the title cut, plus other long groovers including "The Party's Over", "Happy Dip", and "Cry Me A River". All this, and the cover's got a great photo of Jack chompin' on a slab of ribs! The other half of this CD is one of three live sides McDuff cut, all with similar covers, but this one's got the red and orange lettering. Red Holloway blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major gig, and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes. Features cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba" and "A Real Goodun'". Jack McDuff Live is a killer, and one of three live sides McDuff cut for Prestige during the 60s – a monster session of stretched-out jazzy grooves, with many fine little dancers, and a raw soulful feel throughout! The group's one of Jack's best – as Red Holloway's tenor blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major guitar gig – and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes scatter across the place, taking the whole band into some incredible rhythms! Titles include cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba", "Undecided", and "A Real Goodun'". CD

One of the lesser-known 60s albums from Hammond genius Brother Jack McDuff – a set that features his stunning work on organ in a few different settings! The great Red Holloway is on tenor on most of these cuts – and the young George Benson plays guitar on three, Pat Marino on one more. Joe Dukes provides tremendous work on drums on the small combo tracks – and the set also features one very cool cut with large arrangements from Benny Golson! Tracks are fairly long, with lots of fire from McDuff and Benson – and titles include "Stop It", "Midnight Sun", "Love Walked In", and "Misconstrued". LP, Vinyl record album

With George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Gene Ammons, Jimmy Forrest, Red Holloway, and Lem Winchester. CD

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". LP, Vinyl record album

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". CD

A really formative album – not just as part of the key second chapter of alto genius Lou Donaldson, but also as the start of a huge generation of jazz funk grooves to come! The key element here is drummer Idris Muhammad – working in the group of Donaldson, but under his birth name of Leo Morris – and still already graced with that fantastic sense of rhythm that has him stretching out the beats, and creating grooves that would push the 60s soul jazz generation into more electric funk modes in the decade to come! The record's a perfect bridge between the two generations – with long tracks that draw plenty from Idris' drums and Lou's alto – plus work from Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, and the young George Benson on guitar – still hard and soulful, in that style he had been using in the 60s group of organist Jack McDuff. If you know the heavily sampled side of Lou Donaldson's work, you'll know the greatness you're getting here – on cuts that include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag Of Jewels", and "Love Power". CD