# Gene Ammons: Brother Jug! The jazz-rock fusion movement of the late 1960s and ’70s: Videos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/02/19/gene-ammons-brother-jug-the-jazz-rock-fusion-movement-of-the-late-1960s-and-70s-videos/
- Published: 2018-02-19T10:24:03+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**The jazz-rock fusion movement of the late 1960s and ’70s elevated electronic instruments,
particularly the guitar and keyboards. But while the rock guitar, Fender Rhodes 
electric piano and synthesizers were front and center in many fusion bands, the 
saxophone experienced a rebirth in the parallel soul-jazz movement. **

Sidelined as a solo rock instrument by the electric guitar in the mid-’50s, the 
saxophone once again was featured prominently in the late ’60s and ’70s as soul-
jazz covered hit songs by soul vocalists. The move was an effort by labels to win
slots on FM soul radio playlists in urban markets. Reed players from Grover Washington
Jr. and Hank Crawford to Lou Donaldson and Stanley Turrentine had top-selling records
in the soul-jazz era with this format.

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 One
saxophonist who pioneered the feel of soul-jazz without smoothing out his sound 
was Gene “Jug” Ammons. From 1969 and into the early ’70s, Ammons retained his big
bossy attack but became more soulful and funkier. Albums such as _The Boss Is Back!_(
1969), _Night Lights_ (1969), _The Black Cat_ (1970), _My Way_(1971), _Got My Own_(
1972), _You Talk That Talk!_ (1972) and others featured Ammons with a deep, rich
wailing sound.

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 One of my favorite Ammons
albums from this period is _Brother Jug!_ Recorded for Prestige in November 1969,
the album featured Sonny Phillips (org), Billy Butler (g), Bob Bushnell (el-b), 
and Bernard “Pretty” Purdie (d) on most of the tracks. The sidemen in this tight
rhythm section are standouts. Sonny Phillips is a soul-jazz organist who I need 
to re-visit; Bob Bushnell remains a rock and soul session bassist; and Bernard “
Pretty” Purdie is still one of the most in-demand pop and soul studio drummers from
the 1960s and beyond.

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 Of all the
Ammons recordings from this period, this one is my favorite. It’s flawless, mixing
R&B hits (_Son of a Preacher Man, He’s a Real Gone Guy_) with extra-slow pop ballads(
_Didn’t We_and _Blue Velvet_), and two terrific soul-jazz originals by Ammons—_Jungle
Strut_ and _Ger-Ru. _The latter tune was recorded for _The Boss Is Back!_ and featured
Junior Mance (p), Buster Williams (b), Frankie Jones (d) and Candido (conga).

_Brother Jug!_ was produced by Bob Porter. Gene Ammons died in 1974.

Jungle Strut’s rhythm-section riff seems to be an adaptation of James Brown’s There
Was a Time, from 1968. Brown with Sammy Davis Jr. on the Hollywood Palace in 1969.
Listen to the rhythm section…

![Ad545a0404ad562313dfcd380e47783e--soul-jazz-all-that-jazz](http://marcmyers.typepad.
com/.a/6a00e008dca1f0883401bb09f260b4970d-500wi)

![61CNVqq2sBL._SS500](http://marcmyers.typepad.com/.a/6a00e008dca1f0883401b7c94f18ca970b-
500wi)

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