I wrote these songs for seven musicians who are extremely important to me. I have listened to and studied their music for years and owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. I chose the band for this date knowing I wanted players who could impart both the intellect of this music as well as the feel.
“Maceo Made Me Do It” is some of that signature funk that Maceo Parker has done so brilliantly for so many years. Diego really dug in on this one and gave me that great groove to play over.
“Pass That Jug” is my homage to the great tenor man Gene Ammons. I always liked how he used the whole range of the horn, top to bottom, and always kept that strong blues feel. Carlo has a nice solo on this one.
Next is “Ready For Eddie” which I wrote for a true jazz icon, Eddie Harris. This song starts with a nod to one of his most well-known compositions, “Listen Here.” Ed Cherry plays a wonderful guitar solo on this one with Carlo and Diego really capturing that “Eddie” groove I envisioned.
“Houston’s House” I wrote for my friend and mentor, the ever-soulful purveyor of melody, Houston Person. I recently read an interview with Houston where he said that in his music “the blues are always close by” and in this one I wanted that feeling too.
“Papa Lou’s Love Cruise” is a salute to the legendary Lou Donaldson. It's a boogaloo variation of a 12 bar blues with a bridge. The guys hit a nice groove and we conjured up some of Papa Lou’s vibe along the way.
For Charles Mingus there is “Melody For Mingus.” I have always been drawn to the complexity, the moodiness and the directness of his music. This features a wonderful solo by Carlo on bass.
I finish up with "Stanley T." a salute to the great Stanley Turrentine. It's a straight-out blues groove with the band really getting deep in the pocket. This is one for listening and grooving.
This is my shout-out to those who have inspired me. I want to thank Chris Sulit of Trading 8’s Studio for his hard work helping us capture these sounds. I am grateful to Ed, Carlo and Diego for their generosity of spirit in bringing this musical vision to life.
1. Maceo Made Me Do It - for Maceo Parker 07:06
2. Pass That Jug - for Gene Ammons 08:53
3. Ready For Eddie - for Eddie Harris 06:13
4. Houston's House - for Houston Person 07:38
5. Papa Lou's Love Cruise - for Lou Donaldson 07:13
6. Melody For Mingus - for Charles Mingus 07:51
7. Stanley T. - for Stanley Turrentine 07:00
Ed Cherry guitar
Carlo De Rosa bass
Diego Voglino drums
All songs composed/arranged by Jeff Hackworth
All songs © 2018 Saxworks Music BMI
Recorded on 11/3/17 Trading 8s Studio Paramus NJ
Engineered, mixed, mastered by Chris Sulit
Produced by Jeff Hackworth
Jeff uses Roberto’s Winds reeds exclusively
