Vagabond’s Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 61 - Electric Keyboards and Synth Albums that Adorn Music

Hammond Organ Players and Their Various Works Part VI: Jazz

In this volume of “Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal”, I will introduce some jazz masterpieces played on the famous Hammond organ. The Hammond player this time is Joey DeFrancesco, a genius organist who joined Miles Davis' band as a teenager.
Joey DeFrancesco is an American-born jazz organist. Quincy Jones endorsed him as the best organist in the world since Jimmy Smith.
He has performed with many jazz giants, including Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, David Sanborn, John Mahlagrin, Steve Gatt, and John Scofield. He also released many solo albums under his own name.

■ Recommended album: 75th Birthday Bash Live (2007) by Kenny Burrell

A live album celebrating the 75th birthday of Kenny Burrell, a master of jazz guitar. Many standard tunes such as “Lament”, “A Night in Tunisia”, Miles Davis' “All Blues”, and Duke Ellington's “Sophisticated Lady” are credited on this album. The co-starring members are also splendid and include first callers such as Joey DeFrancesco and Hubert Laws (Fl).

Recommended Song: “A Night in Tunisia”

Recorded live, this song has a rough, festival feel to it. The most amazing thing is Joey DeFrancesco's organ playing. He is flying from the break of the song. The organ playing of Joey DeFrancesco is a generous display of his vigor and advanced technique. The phrases are of course jazz, but they are also mixed with easy-to-understand rock-like phrases, making for a very approachable solo structure. The use of drawbars is also well done, and the final part of the Hammond solo is a great way to get the audience excited by pulling out all the drawbars and making Leslie fast.
Despite the roughness of the live performance, the tremendous momentum and groove, including DeFrancesco's Hammond solo, make this song powerful and vivid. It’s just a really cool songl!

■ Recommended album: Jazz Times Super Band (2000) by Bob Berg

This album is quite wonderful! It was released under the name Bob Berg. This is the work of the Jazz Times Super Band, a band who formed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jazz Times magazine. I'm ashamed to admit that before I started learning about jazz, I didn't know that organ jazz didn't have a bassist (there are exceptions). The organist plays the bass line on the foot keys with his left foot and the organ keys with his left hand. The Hammond organ has a drawbar for the bass, so it is common practice for organ players to play the bass line with their left hand. So there is no need for a bassist.
After all, this album has a great lineup! Led by organist Joey DeFrancesco with Bob Berg (Tsax), Randy Brecker (Tp), and Dennis Chambers (Dr). Bob and Randy contributed three originals each. Dennis Chambers' strong drum playing is also a treat to hear. He is a great drummer whether he is playing rock or jazz, and his playing on Steely Dan's live album is excellent.
Guitarist Paul Bollenbach also plays on a few songs and he’s a great player. You can also hear some new age jazz guitar phrases that are slightly different from traditional jazz guitar.

Recommended Song: “Dirty Dogs”

Joey DeFrancesco's Hammond roars over a funky theme. A skilled Hammond player who joined Miles Davis' band as a teenager, DeFrancesco has played with numerous jazz players, including David Sanborn (Sax), Joe Beck (G), and Kenny Burrell (G).
The aforementioned guitarist Paul Bollenbach's neat and outgoing guitar solos are excellent!

Recommended song: “Friday Night at the Cadillac Club”

Funky jazz with a catchy brass ensemble playing the theme. Bob Berg's original piece sounds like it could be played by a big band. DeFrancesco's organ solo is so varied in phrasing and is so superbly composed that you can't tell how much of an extractor it is!
The song is also on the album Rhythm Stick by the CTI All-Stars released on CTI. Robben Ford plays a nice bluesy solo.

Musicians, albums, recommended songs, and keyboards used

• Joey DeFrancesco, Kenny Burrell, Bob Berg, Paul Bollenbach, etc.
• Album: 75th Birthday Bash Live, Jazz Times Super Band
• Songs: “A Night in Tunisia,” “Dirty Dogs,” “Friday Night at the Cadillac Club
• Equipment: Hammond B-3 Organ

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