Jack McDuff - Another Real Good'Un (1990)

Another Real Good 'Un is a latter-day Brother Jack McDuff session which finds the organist joined by tenor legend Houston Person, as well as (at various times) alto/tenor saxophonist Ron Bridgewater, trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, drummers Buddy Williams and Cecil Brooks III, and guitarists Randy Johnston and John Hart. It's one of McDuff's better comeback albums, as he keeps the groove pumping throughout the record, swinging soulfully and interacting nicely with the other soloists. 32 Jazz reissued the session in 1999, Savoy Jazz in 2003. ~ by Steve Huey, AMG. 

Muse Records, MCD 5374, 1990
Recorded 1st March, 1989 & 18th July, 1990
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 

Musicians:
Jack McDuff - Organ
Cecil Bridgewater - Trumpet (#3,4,6)
Ron Bridgewater - Alto Sax, Tenor Sax(#3,4,6)
Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone
Randy Johnston - Guitar (#1,5,7)
John Hart - Guitar (#3,4,6)
Cecil Brooks III - Drums (#1,5,7)
Buddy Williams - Drums (#3,4,6) 

Tracks:
1. Another Real Good'Un {Jack McDuff} (7:33)
2. Summertime {George & Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward} (8:50)
3. Off The Beaten Path {Cecil Bridgewater} (4:42)
4. Long Day Blues {Jack McDuff} (5:34)
5. Rock Candy {Jack McDuff} (6:59)
6. I Cant Get Started {Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin} (7:17)
7. I Cover The Waterfront {Johnny Green, Edward Heyman} (5:10) 

Total Time: 46:05 

Credits:
Producer - Houston Person
Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Cover Photo - Fred Salaff
Graphic Design - Ron Warwell

Arthur Blythe - Blythe Byte (2001)

Alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe remains a reassuring exemplar of the rooted revolutionary. To be sure, he is less intent on pushing the musical envelope these days, but his aggressive tone and harmonic approach won't let the listener take him for granted. Working here in (and out of) a quartet setting, Blythe dances deftly between what we know and what he wants to show us. His primary collaborator on Blythe Byte is John Hicks, whose support on three duet outings is sympathetic and assured. Bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Cecil Brooks III complete the ensemble. From the opening track, his own "Hardly," Blythe serves up his distinctive sound, redolent of R&B and the lingering spice of sophisticated harmony. Three Monk tunes add their own character to the mix. Hicks puts an elegant spin on "Blue Monk" (a quartet take) and "Light Blue," and gives "Ruby, My Dear" a similarly understated frame; this gives Blythe all the support he needs, as he focuses on melody throughout, working around the obvious rhythmic temptations. The title track is truly a gem, a 39-second unaccompanied rhapsody that is worth the price of admission. ~ Bill Bennett, JazzTimes.com. 

Savant Records, SCD 2036, 2001
Recorded 17th March, 2001 at Tedesco Recording Studios, Paramus, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Arthur Blythe - Alto Saxophone
John Hicks - Piano (#1-8,10)
Dwayne Dolphin - Bass (#1-3,5-7)
Cecil Brooks III - Drums (#1-3,5-7) 

Tracks:
01. Hardly {Arthur Blythe} (7:29)
02. Besamé Mucho {Sunny Skylar, Consuelo Velázquez} (5:47)
03. Blue Monk {Thelonious Monk} (6:09)
04. Light Blue {Arthur Blythe} (5:02)
05. And One {Dwayne Dolphin} (6:23)
06. My Little Brown Book {Billy Strayhorn} (6:15)
07. Naima {John Coltrane} (6:11)
08. Ruby My Dear {Thelonious Monk} (6:00)
09. Blythe Byte {Arthur Blythe} (0:43)
10. What A Friend We Have In Jesus {Charles C. Converse, Joseph Scriven} (4:29) 

Total Time: 54:33 

Credits:
Producer - Cecil Brooks III
Associate Producer - Arthur Blythe
Executive-Producer - Joe Fields
Engineer - David Baker
Engineer [Assistant] - Tom Tedesco
Mastering - John Arthur Lee
Design - Keiji Obata
Photography - Alan Nahigian 

Naima

Jimmy Ponder - What's New (2005)

Guitarist Jimmy Ponder's trio date is very much in the style of the classic mid- to late-'60s soul-jazz sessions. His double-time version of "God Bless the Child" is a bit reminiscent of Richard "Groove" Holmes' hit version of "Misty," and the other standards are all interpreted with swing and soul. Ponder has an appealing sound that blends in well with organist Gene Ludwig and drummer Cecil Brooks III and results in accessible ensembles. Although few surprises occur, none are really needed, for this style of music always pleases organ fans and lovers of swinging soul-jazz. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

HighNote Records, HCD 7100, 2005

Recorded 5^th August, 2002 At Anything Audio Multimedia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Musicians:

Jimmy Ponder - Guitar

Gene Ludwig - Organ

Cecil Brooks III - Drums

Tracks:

1. TNT {AC/DC} (4:39)

2. Polka Dots And Moonbeams {Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (7:17)

3. God Bless The Child {Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog, Jr.} (7:57)

4. Besamé Mucho {Consuelo Velázquez} (7:15)

5. Please Give Me Someone To Love {Percy Mayfield} (7:38)

6. What's New {Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke} (9:28)

7. That's All {Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes} (9:21)

Credits:

Producer - Cecil Brooks III

Executive Producer - Joe Fields

Engineer - Dino DiStefano

Photography, Design - Keiji Obata, Littlefield & Co.

Portrait - Kaufmanns Studio

Liner Notes - Larry Hollis