Hammond B3 Hall of Fame

In Glen Nelson’s history of the Hammond Organ he writes:

“To get a B-3 to a gig, you would probably need a truck or a van to transport it, a dolly or three to four guys to carry it, and then a prayer that you didn’t have to carry it up too many flights of stairs. Why, you must be wondering, would any sane musician want to take this piece of furniture with them out to a gig? If you have ever heard a good B-3, you would understand. A Hammond B-3 can all at once sound like a carnival, a big band, a horn section, a small jazz combo, a funk group, a percussion section, a flute, and/or countless other things. How does one instrument manage to do all this? “

To find out the answer, read his very thorough yet concise article.

The history of organ jazz begins with Fats Waller, the son of a Baptist minister, who played church organ before playing piano. During the silent film era he was a theatre organist in New York. Fats also taught Count Basie how to play the organ and he probably had the first recording featuring an electric Hammond organ.

Fats also played and recorded on pipe organ. In fact, in Paris he played the organ at Notre Dame and in London at the Abbey Road Studio he recorded spirituals on the Compton Theatre organ.

Then came the next major figure, Wild Bill Davis, who may have had the first jazz organ trio, and was known for his “fat” chords.

And then came Jimmy Smith whose magic right hand and approach to soloing changed everything. He was a great showman and soloist with superior musical instincts, and his contribution to organ jazz can hardly be overemphasized.

Jimmy Smith “Back at the Chicken Shack”

But imagine a world where Elvis was “the singer” and everyone else who sang was an Elvis impersonator. For a long time, and to a certain extent it continues today, lots and lots of jazz organists are Elvis/Jimmy Smith impersonators. Elvis was wonderful and might have been the “king” and the Greatest to legions of fans, but a world full of Elvis impersonators is limiting to say the least.

Larry Young was the first player post-JS to truly establish his own unique style and approach to the organ. He introduced a modal approach to the Hammond B3 in contrast to Jimmy Smith’s soul jazz style. He was influenced by John Coltrane and recorded as a trio with Grant Green and Elvin Jones. For a time it seemed like something really exciting might be happening, but unfortunately Larry died at the age of 38 due to untreated pneumonia. I wish there were video clips available, but if you are interested in learning more, his 1965 release “Unity” is a good place to start.

I highly recommend a wonderful and extensive history of jazz organ written by Geoff Alexander. This will provide you with a detailed look at the development of organ jazz. When Geoff first published his history in 1988 the future of the Hammond B3 looked bleak, and because of the early passing of Larry Young, the popularity of the synthesizer, and modern recording trends he predicted the demise of the B3. But in the 2004 preface of his history Geoff wrote:

“I was wrong about the demise of the organ, though, as the B-3 has had a resurgence of sorts; two of the more popular newer players are the Jimmy Smith-inspired Joey DeFrancesco, and Barbara Dennerlein, from Germany. DeFranceso is a very good player in the blues-hard bop tradition, and some of his better work has been in trio format with guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Dennis Chambers.”

Joey DeFrancesco “Blues for Bobby C”

“Dennerlein, in the genealogy of jazz organ, would derive from the European organists and synthesizer players as well as having many of the elements of Larry Young. Compositionally strong, harmonically diverse, and rhythmically adventurous, she combines strong hand technique with stunning pedal work. Only now in her mid-thirties, her emphasis on the tradition of the B-3 and at the same time her willingness to expand the capability of the instrument make her the person to watch over the next decade.”

Barbara Dennerlein “Pent Up House”

Rhoda Scott, the barefoot lady, has a few things in common with Barbara Dennerlein. She’s known for her bass pedal technique and she lives in Europe. Like Barbara Dennerlein, her mastery of the foot pedals frees her left hand for rhythmic chord playing. Rhoda, like Fats Waller, is the child of a minister and began playing the organ in church as a young child, and later studied classical piano and earned a masters degree in musical theory.

Rhoda Scott Pistaccio

Tony Monaco is another B3 player mentored and influenced by Jimmy Smith. In 2000 he and Joey DeFrancesco met, became friends, and went to the recording studio together with Joey producing him.

Tony Monaco “Midnight Special”

Lonnie Smith made a name for himself with his early work with guitarist George Benson and is considered by many to be an exceptional accompanist. He is not known for remarkable solos, but his flamboyant persona and showmanship have contributed to his long and distinguished career.

Lonnie Smith

Wil Blades was born in Chicago in 1979 and works out of the Bay area.  His mentor is Lonnie Smith and the video below is quite informative and also features Lonnie Smith.

Wil Blades

Osaka born Atsuko Hashimoto studied classical musical for several years before switching to organ.

Atsuko Hashimoto

Born Eugene McDuffy in Champaign, Illinois, Jack McDuff  initially played bass. In the late 50s, he switched to organ and formed a group with a young George Benson and Red Holloway on saxophone.

Jack McDuff

Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, Jimmy McGriff started playing piano at the age of five and by his teens, also learned to play vibes, alto sax, drums and upright bass. His first group was a piano trio, which found him playing bass in the band.  McGriff bought his first Hammond B-3 organ in 1956, spent six months learning the instrument, then studied at New York’s Juilliard School of Music. He also studied privately with Milt Buckner, Jimmy Smith, and Sonny Gatewood. (Wikipedia)

Jimmy McGriff

Don Pullen

with Scofield/Smith

Brian Auger is a rock, R&B, jazz keyboardist from England known for his B3 playing. In the late ’70’s his Oblivion Express recorded two breakout LPs, “Closer To It” and “Straight Ahead” which appealed to jazz and rock audiences.

Brian Auger

John Medeski

Sam Yahel Joshua Redman – Jazz Crimes

Robert Walters with Greyboy Allstars

Mel Davis

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Unfortunately I couldn’t find video clips of some excellent players like: Shirley Scott, Groove Holmes, Bill Doggett and several others, but I did link to some audio of them.

PS If you are a B3 fan be sure to check out the Doodlin Lounge.