Review from DownBeat (by Michael J. West):
With the Hammond organ riding a wave of visibility it hasn't seen since late-'60s soul jazz, what better stratagem than a tribute to one of the avatars of that sound? Brian Charette first established himself in New York playing at a Harlem club on an organ that once belonged to "Brother" (or "Captain") Jack McDuff, whose vinegary sound and soulful licks Charette successfully channels and extends on You Don't Know Jack! It's not an album of McDuff's music, per se; only two of his tunes, the blues "Jolly Black Giant" and the bossa nova "6:30 In The Morning," stand against originals by Charette (and one by tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, who also produced the album in Vancouver). But it groks the sound and style that made McDuff tick, compositionally -- place Charette's opening "Early America" next to McDuff's 1969 "Theme From An Electric Surfboard" and see if they're not congruent -- and improvisationally. "Microcosmic Orbit" might sound like a title from a Sun Ra record, but it's a vehicle for the kind of punctilious, singsong phrasings that McDuff loved. (Not to mention his weirdly scratchy organ timbre; I don't know how the hell McDuff made that sound, but Charette does.) All that is not to say that there's no originality on You Don't Know Jack! The title track, oddly enough, features Charette playing a hiccup-y blues line that Jack would probably never touch. And while Weeds and guitarist Dave Sikula easily evoke the greasy, gritsy feel of down-home soul jazz, neither conjures the sound of any instrumentalist in particular. (As for drummer John Lee, he simply and tastefully swings: What else is there?) What's more, Weeds' "Have You Met Joan?" is a Bird-style bebop head that, for its six-minute length, recontextualizes the whole affair.
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/you-dont-know-jack
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Resena de DownBeat (por Michael J. West):
Con el organo Hammond cabalgando una ola de visibilidad que no habia visto desde el soul jazz de finales de los 60, que mejor estrategia que un tributo a uno de los avatares de ese sonido? Brian Charette se establecio por primera vez en Nueva York tocando en un club de Harlem en un organo que una vez pertencio al "Brother" (o "Captain") Jack McDuff, cuyo sonido avinagrado y sus licks llenos de alma Charette canaliza y extiende exitosamente en You Don't Know Jack! No es un album de la musica de McDuff, per se; solo dos de sus temas, el blues "Jolly Black Giant" y la bossa nova "6:30 In The Morning", se enfrentan a los originales de Charette (y uno del saxofonista tenor Cory Weeds, quien tambien produjo el album en Vancouver). Pero capta el sonido y el estilo que hacia funcionar a McDuff, composicionalmente -- coloca el "Early America" de apertura de Charette junto al "Theme From An Electric Surfboard" de McDuff de 1969 y comprueba si no son congruentes -- e improvisacionalmente. "Microcosmic Orbit" podria sonar como un titulo de un disco de Sun Ra, pero es un vehiculo para el tipo de fraseados meticulosos y cantarines que McDuff amaba. (Sin mencionar su extranamente aspero timbre de organo; no se como diablos McDuff lograba ese sonido, pero Charette si lo sabe.) Todo eso no quiere decir que no haya originalidad en You Don't Know Jack! El tema titular, curiosamente, presenta a Charette tocando una linea de blues sincopada que Jack probablemente nunca tocaria. Y si bien Weeds y el guitarrista Dave Sikula evocan facilmente el sabor grasiento y rasposo del soul jazz de barrio, ninguno conjura el sonido de ningun instrumentista en particular. (En cuanto al baterista John Lee, simplemente swingea con buen gusto: que mas hay que decir?) Ademas, "Have You Met Joan?" de Weeds es un head de bebop al estilo de Bird que, en sus seis minutos de duracion, recontextualiza todo el asunto.
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/you-dont-know-jack




