Kirk and McDuff in the Studio Together
Kirk's alto cuts through McDuff's organ with the precision of someone who knows exactly what he wants.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Jack McDuff brought very different energies into the studio for Kirk's Work (1961). Kirk was still building his reputation as a multi-instrumentalist with an uncompromising approach to melody and tone. McDuff, already established on the organ circuit, brought the kind of solid, swinging foundation that could handle Kirk's intensity. With Joe Benjamin on bass and Art Taylor on drums, the session had the bones of a tight working quartet — the kind that could cut a record quickly and move on, which was typical of Prestige's operation at the time.
What makes this record distinct is how Kirk refuses to play second fiddle to the organ. On many McDuff recordings, the leader's Hammond can dominate the session, but Kirk's alto saxophone stays sharp and focused, sometimes pushing directly against the grain of the arrangement rather than swimming in it. His solos have a combative quality, like he's testing McDuff in real time. The chemistry works because neither player is trying to smooth things over. There's genuine momentum here, built on friction as much as agreement.
This sits early in Kirk's recording career, before he became known for the unusual instruments and the showmanship. It's useful mainly for fans already interested in Kirk's approach to standard material and ensemble playing. It's not the place to start if you want his full personality — that emerges more forcefully on later work — but it shows a musician fully formed in his musicianship, already impatient with convention.
Who's playing
Joe Benjamindouble bass
Rahsaan Roland Kirkalto saxophone
“Brother” Jack McDuffHammond organ
Art Taylordrums
Where next?
More by Rahsaan Roland Kirk
The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color 1975
Blacknuss 1972
Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata 1971
Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real 1978
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
