Gin and Orange

AMG Review of Gin and Orange

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

Gin and Orange was one of only a handful of records Hammond B-3 boss Jack McDuff cut for Cadet Records in the late '60s and early '70s. When the label lost the Ramsey Lewis Trio, it had to get back into the groove grease bag big time and McDuff was a logical pick, with his propensity for steamy grooves and his knack for reading the popular tunes of the day (as well as jazz and blues classics) and writing tunes that would get played on the radio -- and make it into jukeboxes nationwide. This set is unusual in a number of ways. First, it was recorded partially in the studio and partially live at Lewis' old haunt in the Windy City, the London House. Second, Brother Jack and the legendary house arranger Richard Evans jointly arranged the set. McDuff composed or co-wrote -- with Evans -- all but one track, which was written by the arranger. Finally, producer Lew Futterman took some real liberties here, upping the sound of the electric guitar in places, fading the B-3 in places, and doing hard angled edits in others -- and yet, it all works. The personnel on the studio date includes saxophonists Gene Barge and Ben Branch, guitarist Cash McCall, and bassist Phil Upchurch -- who is quite literally amazing throughout, laying down a blend of funk, blues, jazz, and rock that is simply staggering. That there is a bassist on a B-3 date is unusual enough, but given Evans' genius in arranging (he was a bassist by trade), that extra bottom is a mindblower even on the ballads. Morris Jennings held down the drum chair and percussion was handled by Richard Powell. On the live sides, Bill Phillips and Clifford Davis blew saxophones with Jerry Byrd on guitar and drummer Joe Burkes.

The groovy soundtrack funk of "Mac-Duffin" starts things off in high gear with Upchurch's bassline propelling the thing from the front line, underscored by a Stax-style horn line. McDuff enters on his solo, which just burns, even though he's playing a hot repetitive progression riff through most of it. For all intents and purposes, "The Electric Surfboard" is a swinging little midtempo ballad that could have come out of Philadelphia with its undercurrent of soul and its jazzy arrangement. The title cut is a funky little burner of a boogaloo-blues; with its great horn lines and guitar parts, McDuff is more part of the ensemble that roiling on top, but his solo is a steamy one. The set's longest track is "Beep-Bo-Boo," a midtempo ballad cut in front of an audience that gradually works its way to being a shimmering little blues number with great guitar work by Byrd and a fine solo by Brother Jack. Of the organist's Cadet sides, this is second only to his immortal -- and unavailable in America -- 1972 set called The Heatin' System (no relation to the '90s date of the same name on Concord, which sucks). Chicago's mighty Dusty Groove imprint reissued this baby on CD in 2008 and it's worth every dime of the 14 dollars you're likely to pay for it.