Two Voices, One Groove: Holloway and McDuff in Tandem
McDuff swings on organ and piano both, anchoring soulful covers and Holloway's originals with equal ease.
George Benson is the secret weapon here. His guitar work—clean, melodic, and unfussy—lifts these sessions into something warmer than a standard soul-jazz blowing date. Benson had yet to become the household name he'd later be, but on Cookin' Together (1964) you can already hear his gift for making straightforward changes sing. He doesn't overplay. He listens, responds, and lets Red Holloway's tenor saxophone breathe.
Holloway's material mixes covers—Burt Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers," a reading of "This Can't Be Love"—with five originals that range from uptempo swingers to laid-back soul numbers. The diversity works because Brother Jack McDuff's organ playing grounds everything. What makes this session unusual is that McDuff played piano on two tracks, stepping away from his usual Hammond B-3 territory. It's a small thing, but it shows flexibility and keeps the record from settling into one groove.
This isn't a landmark session, and it didn't launch anyone's career in a new direction. But it's the kind of solid, soulful recording that fills out a musician's catalog for good reason—straightforward playing, no filler material, and a band that knows how to cook without overheating. AllMusic reviewer awarded it 4½ stars, and that feels right: it swings, it holds up, and Benson's presence makes it memorable.
Who's playing
Wilfred Middlebrooksbass
George Bensonguitar
Red Hollowaytenor saxophone
Joe Dukesmembranophone
“Brother” Jack McDuffkeyboard
Where next?
More by Red Holloway
Forecast: Sonny & Red 1976
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Axel Zwingenberger and the Friends of Boogie Woogie, Volume 8: Heat It Up! 1993
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
