C.C. Booker III leader, Will Scruggs

In the 1960s, several strains of African American music converged to form the genre we now call soul jazz. On the one hand was the straight ahead jazz tradition, specifically, the hard bop sound legendary drummer Art Blakey pioneered with his timeless band, the Jazz Messengers. On the other hand was the popular R&B music of the day, with Memphis soul and Motown beaming across the airwaves. From yet another angle came the spirituality of gospel music. All of these influences came together and gave rise to an infectious music that demanded strong improvisational skills, but also always rooted in a danceable groove, while carrying the emotional weight of traditional black culture.

“I’m a huge fan of soul jazz, and of the Hammond B3 sound in particular,” said saxophonist/vocalist Will Scruggs, referring to the type of electric organ around which this music is often based. “The music was accessible to a lot of people, both the jazz die-hards and folks who weren’t jazz fans.”

Scruggs, who is based out of Atlanta, is the leader of C.C. Booker III, a band that revels in the soul jazz vibe, and who will be performing this Friday and Saturday at the venerable Twins Jazz. The group is in town supporting its self-titled debut album, which follows an EP released in 2007.

The heart of CCB3’s sound lies with Scruggs’ saxophone and the organ stylings of Nate Shaw, who used to be a co-leader of the group, but has since relinquished his role due to writing and recording commitments for television soundtracks. The album’s initial tunes were recorded with musicians based out of New York City, with whom Shaw often worked. Once Scruggs took over the group, he had trouble funding the project, and was forced to shelve it for nearly a year. Scruggs eventually completed the album with musicians based out of Atlanta, including Wes Funderburk on trombone and Ken Watters on trumpet. Scruggs, Funderburk, and Watters often play together in Atlanta’s session scene, and have recorded with the likes of Natalie Cole, Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), and multi-platinum producers Dallas Austin (TLC) and Jermaine Dupri (Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey).