It was confusing enough that
Willis Jackson, with
Jack McDuff as sidekick, recorded first an album titled
Together Again!, and then a different album with the similar title
Together Again, Again. Combining both of these on a single-CD reissue, and titling the whole caboodle
Together Again!, is downright pitiless. But to preface appraisal of the music with a gotta-make-this-clear explanation, this 2003 reissue, though titled
Together Again!, is
not the same as the original album
Together Again!, though it contains every track from that LP. Instead, it collects every track from
Together Again! and
Together Again, Again, though not presented in their original running orders. Rather, the 13 tracks are sequenced in the chronological order in which they were recorded, from May 1959 to December 1961. More important than untangling this discographical train wreck is appreciating the music, which is solid if typical early soul-jazz. The combos (always including
Bill Jennings on guitar) can either bop energetically, get bluesy (on
Jackson's "This'll Get to Ya"), skirt R&B ("Backtrack (Twistin' Train)"), or wind down for smoochy, slightly smoldering stuff like "Angel Eyes." Tenor saxophonist
Jackson and organist
McDuff might be the spotlighted performers in the marketing, but actually it's a pretty integrated full-band, small-group sound. There's not much original material from
Jackson, though (and no original tunes from
McDuff), with a New Orleans-tinged version of
Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" the most unexpected cover choice.
–
Richie Unterberger, Rovi