Brian Charette: You Don’t Know Jack!

CELLAR MUSIC (RELEASED DECEMBER 6, 2024))

Early in his career, Brian Charette was working at a club in Harlem only to learn that the organ he was playing belonged to one of his heroes — Brother Jack McDuff. Since that time, Charette has become well familiar with McDuff — his style, his compositions and his many recordings. You Don’t Know Jack! is a tribute to McDuff conceived by Charette and Cellar Music boss/saxophonist Cory Weeds. The eight tracks, including new tunes penned for this session and several McDuff originals, are stepped in the tradition of McDuff’s classic Prestige dates but with a touch of modern sensibilities. Charette and Weeds, along with guitarist Dave Sikula and drummer John Lee cover all the bases — greasy blues, ballads, bossa novas, up-tempo swinger and soul-funk beats. There’s even a boppish take on “Have You Met Miss Jones” renamed “Have You Met Joan?” Charette and Weeds go toe-to-toe tackling the melody lines of tunes such as the bluesy “Early America,” the bossa-infused “6:30 in the Morning” and the funky “Why’d You Have To Go and Lie To Me Boy?,” before launching into soulful solos of their own. Sikula’s guitar adds a bluesy flavor to the session particularly his solos on the up-tempo “The Jolly Black Giant” and the medium groove of “You Don’t Know Jack!” Lee’s drumming adapts to the mood of each tune, even giving a nod to Joe Dukes on the drum breaks of the easy going “I Like a Big Schnazolle.” Yet, rather than simply recreating the sound of Jack McDuff and his classic quartet with George Benson, Red Holloway and Dukes, Charette and gang have reinvigorated it with even more grit, grease and grooves. Once again, Cellar Music has advanced the sound of a bygone era with You Don’t Know Jack! Hopefully this tribute by Brian Charette and Cory Weeds will get young listeners to know the real Jack!

BOTTOM LINE: This tribute to organist Brother Jack McDuff could easily earn Brian Charette the moniker of “Brother” as well. Charette and saxophonist Cory Weeds breathe new life into a music that proliferated at small venues throughout 1950s to 1970s — the soulful, greasy, bluesy sounds of jazz organ, sax, guitar and drums. You Don’t Know Jack! not only captures that era but does so with some modern touches.