Double Barrelled Soul

This 1967 release is co-billed to organist McDuff and saxophonist Newman, not using his “Fathead” nickname here for some reason. Danny Turner and Leo Johnson are the other saxophonists, and Melvin Sparks and Alvin Blassingame are on guitar and drums, respectively. Newman rose to fame playing with Ray Charles in the 1950s and ’60s, but he gets to stretch out a lot more here than he did on Charles’ hit records. His bluesy, crying “Texas tenor” style, very much in the vein of King Curtis, Junior Walker and other bar-walking players, is on display throughout, as the other horns provide punchy backing. McDuff’s organ playing is mellow and soulful, cruising along as Blassingame provides a hard backbeat perfect for barrooms or cruising in a convertible, as one chooses.