McDuff, Brother Jack: Moon Rappin' (Blue Note Classic) LP

Blue Note Records has announced the continuation of the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series which presents 180g vinyl LP reissues in standard packaging mastered by Kevin Gray and manufactured at Optimal. The pressings are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Gray mastering directly from the original master tapes. While the first 16 titles of the series focused on the best-known Blue Note classics from the 1950s and 60s, the new run of titles curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman broadens its scope to span the many eras and styles of the legendary label's eight-decade history presented by themes: Bebop, Hard Bop, Soul Jazz, Post-Bop, Avant-Garde, The 70s, The Rebirth, and Hidden Gems.

Brother Jack McDuff was already a well-established and prolific organist who led his own soul jazz bands throughout the 1960s when he came to Blue Note Records in 1969. Following his label debut Down Home Style, McDuff made one of the most creatively ambitious albums of his career with Moon Rappin', which was released in 1970. The album featured 5 funky, spaced-out McDuff originals including hard-grooving numbers like "Flat Backin'" and "Loose Foot," as well innovative tracks like "Moon Rappin'" and "Oblighetto," which would later be permanently ingrained into hip hop history when it was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest as the foundation of 2 of their all-time classic tracks: "Scenario" and "Check the Rhime."