1963 · Album
Crash!
Recorded 1963 · Prestige · Produced by Not specified in verified sources
Organ and Guitar in the Same Room
Brother Jack McDuff's Hammond B3 and Kenny Burrell's guitar lock into grooves that feel both relaxed and propulsive.
The first thing you notice is the organ—fat, wheeling, pushing the tempo forward while the guitar answers back, clean and precise. This is Brother Jack McDuff's session, and his Hammond B3 fills most of the air in the room, but Burrell doesn't get swallowed by it. Instead they orbit each other, the organist rumbling underneath while the guitarist floats lines above, trading space like they've been playing together for years. The rhythm section locks tight, and everything moves with a kind of soul-jazz swagger that never feels rushed or overly clever. It's functional, groove-based jazz—the kind made to swing and get people listening, not to impress other musicians with difficulty. Recorded in 1963, Crash! sits squarely in the middle of both men's careers, during a period when organ combos were everywhere in soul-jazz and R&B circles. For Burrell, this wasn't his usual territory—he'd built his reputation on cooler, more introspective sessions—so there's something refreshing about hearing him loosen up and play within a funkier pocket. AllMusic awarded the album four and a half stars, calling it "easily recommended to fans of the jazz organ," which is both accurate and limiting. Yes, it's a natural fit if you love that particular sound, but it's also just a well-played, enjoyable record that doesn't ask much of you except to sit and listen to two strong players doing what they do.
Who's playing
Kenny Burrellguitar
Harold Vicktenor saxophone
Eric Dixonflute
Ray Barrettopercussion
Joe Dukesmembranophone
Where next?
More by Kenny Burrell
Introducing Kenny Burrell 1956
Midnight Blue 1963
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane 1963
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Jazzmen: Detroit 1956
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
