Doug Raney - The Backbeat (SteepleChase, 1997)

Doug Raney, guitar

Joey DeFrancesco, organ
Billy Hart, drums

Recorded October 1977

New York City

Engineer: Josiah Gluck

It had to happen eventually. After staying close (literally) to his father Jimmy's bebop style, Doug Raney broke out to record a guitar-organ-drums album. His previous duets with his father were superb studies of guitar interplay. Both Duets (SteepleChase, 1980) and Nardis (SteepleChase, 1983) were special events in jazz guitar history. 

The Backbeat is also special. It enlists organist Joey DeFrancesco and the venerable Billy Hart to explore the organ trio format. However, the album is not a blues-drenched, funky soul-jazz session. Raney purposefully chose tunes that were almost never recorded by organists such as Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Charles Earland. Moreover, Raney's set list includes a variety of composers who never wrote expressly for an organ trio. 

In the early 1990s, DeFrancesco vied to become the heir to the Hammond B3 throne through a series of albums on Columbia, Concord and Verve. On these he teamed up with guitarists John Scofield, Paul Bollenback, Danny Gatton, John McLaughlin, and Jimmy Bruno. The albums' producers, including DeFrancesco himself, showcase the young man's technical prowess, but some albums were overproduced in their effort to reach a wider audience. It's an all too familiar story for young artists.

DeFrancesco's inevitable showmanship distinguishes The Backbeat in a positive way. Whether comping during Raney's solos or soloing himself, DeFrancesco demonstrates his mastery of the B3's features and deploys them in service of the music.

Raney's guitar work is fluid, clean, soulful, and articulate. His phrasing and tone are impeccable at any tempo, and the session never drags or falters. His good taste appears to have reined in DeFrancesco's exuberance sufficiently to maintain focus and balance across the program. 

Hart's drumming always observes the dual responsibilities of keeping the groove and provoking the soloists. Even without much solo space, Hart's presence is always heard. You can hear, as on "Love for Sale," when he inserts an unusual roll or cymbal crash, that it is time for the others to move on from their comfortable licks. I've been hearing Hart's friendly insistence for decades.

The track list includes familiar tunes ("Love for Sale" and "Prelude to a Kiss"); jazz tunes by Hancock, Gordon, Jimmy Raney, and Silver that are not overly familiar; and one Doug Raney original. 

For me, the guitarist's "Jimmy James," jointly dedicated to Raney's father (Jimmy) and his son (James), is the highlight of the album. At 11:20 minutes, it is also the longest. As for Raney's solo prowess, look no further than his swinging solo on "The Backbeat," composed by Horace Silver for his quintet but here owned by Raney and the trio. Throughout, I take special note of the recording quality, which captures all three instruments faithfully, especially the organ's pedals.

Both Raney and DeFrancesco had the misfortune to die from heart failure too early in their respective careers: Raney in 2016 at age 59; DeFrancesco in 2022 at age 51.