Foot tapping, head shaking start to the day

The pets and I were the only ones up early this morning, so I grabbed my iPod and enjoyed one of my favorite albums.
"WHO KNOWS WHAT TOMORROW'S GONNA BRING" was the 35th album by soul-jazz organist BROTHER JACK McDUFF, and surely this 1970 classic is one of his best.
The musical talent on display is awe-inspiring, with such backing players as pianist Paul Griffin (longtime Bob Dylan collaborator and pianist on Don MacLean's "American Pie") and experimental rock bassist Tony Levin.
This morning, I paid particularly close attention to the guitar solos of JOE BECK.
A young player, Beck had already played with Gato Barbieri, James Brown, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis.
Beck reportedly passed away Tuesday, age 62, of lung cancer complications.
On "Who Knows...," Beck shows he could have held his own with any of the rock guitar heroes of the 1970s -- including the more famous Jeff Beck (no relation).
By merging jazz with soul and rock, "Who Knows..." provided a template for countless other albums to follow.
It stands above the pack, I think, because of the mammoth talent creating the music -- talent that included the wonderful Beck.