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The Hammond B3

i know this is a "jazz piano" site, but with the recent passing
of organ legend jimmy smith, are there any b3 fans out there?

by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 14:34

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yes, but his passing is recent? more like he's been gone a while, rip. i play hammond organ -- it's my second axe. the few people i meet who can play are really tight-knit. there are a lotta a-holes in the "hammond clique" especially among the techs, but as long as you're playing music, it's cool, right?

so now that we have a b3 thread, what do you want to talk about? jimmy mcgriff and don patterson are my main dudes.

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by on 10/06/2005, 14:58

joey de francesco ain't no slouch either.

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by 7 on 10/06/2005, 17:22

so i would like to focus on the music, not so much the technical side,
i really don't play it, but i appreciate the he (double hockey sticks) out of cats like those mentioned. my first exposure was booker t and the mg's.
i think the b3 has had a great longevity, and i have flirted with playing it over the years. like anything there are "purists" i am sure.

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by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 18:33

ted argent!

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by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:48

..oops, rod.

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by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:52

i love the b3. my church has one that i get to play occasionally. i grew up listening to the b3 organ in church, i absoluetly love it.

funny this thread should come up now, im actually doing a speech on hammond organs in my speech class soon.

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by billy on 10/07/2005, 16:18

heck, i like many synth & sampler organ sounds also. when i play organ i often shake the chords when i feel like it & it really adds to any leslie effects that are on. organs can really scream, howl & moan plus they sound sooo good with pedal point.

for example play an "a" note pedal & over it play these chords in slow sequence: a, g, f, em. then sus4 etc the a chord & resolve it. cool.

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by SolArt on 10/08/2005, 17:17

i agree with you 7, joey de ain't no joke. alot of times when i hear a b3 player solo, they stick to the blues of pentatonic scales. but joey is all over the place which shows that he knows his stuff. neal evans from soulive ain't no joke either.

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by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:45

"i agree with you 7, joey de ain't no joke. alot of times when i hear a b3 player solo, they stick to the blues of pentatonic scales"

sorry, i meant "blues or pentatonic scales".

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by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:47

hi billy p,
what type of stuff do they play on the b3 organ in your church? i play church organ. do they play stuff like "the lord is my shepherd" and "how great thou art". i would like if there was a b3 organ in my church

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by mcjazz! on 10/10/2005, 13:19

they play normal church songs. we do both that you mentioned, as well as other hymns, and even some contemporary black gospel.

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by billy on 10/10/2005, 15:42

saw james taylor last year and was blown away by his technique. some really nice percussive effects in some of the solos using his elbows, all mixed in with very impressive finger work. anyone else a jtc fan?

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by jerry on 10/11/2005, 08:21

"i agree with you 7, joey de ain't no joke. alot of times when i hear a b3 player solo, they stick to the blues of pentatonic scales. but joey is all over the place which shows that he knows his stuff."

don't miss don patterson -- the original "bebop organist," as he's sometimes called. the amazing joey d. has an album-long tribute to don -- but just about any time joey d. plays, you can hear that influence coming through somewhere. mel rhyne is another heavy hitter who had a bit less blues-centric approach (in his many records with wes especially -- his solo on "the way you look tonight" is pretty famous).

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by on 10/12/2005, 08:31

i will make sure to check him out. thanks jaledin

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by Boy Wonder on 10/13/2005, 02:10

it sounds like there are plenty of organists who can take up the torch
of the late jimmy smith.
i think historically though, the b3 was doing a lot of gospel singing before the jazz and blues guys got ahold of it.
also, i have a fake book that covers hymns if anyone is interested.
did anyone hear the al kooper interview on scorcese's "no direction home"? i always wondered about that guy.

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by jmkarns on 10/13/2005, 11:00

there's a site somewhere which has *lots* of al kooper content -- behind-the-glass session data, personal reminiscences, etc. i'm not really hip to his playing, so i couldn't say.

i agree there are a lot of sick organ players out there -- i've never heard anyone really catch the jimmy smith thing like joey d. can, though (he's got his own thing going now, for sure, but he could almost fool someone on a recording into thinking it's jos if he wanted to, i think.)

bill heid's an *awesome* player who's not in the jimmy smith microtradition so much -- amazing blues pianist as well. not as flashy -- kind of a subdued, stick-to-one registration big john patton style, but playing very good modernistic jazz. "dark secrets" is my favorite record of his. he may still hold the guiness world record for number of consecutive miles hitchhiked, as well. never met him, unfortunately, but it would be awesome to hear some of his stories in person.

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by on 10/13/2005, 14:54

i know this is a "jazz piano" site, but with the recent passing
of organ legend jimmy smith, are there any b3 fans out there?

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by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 14:34

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The Hammond B3

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by on 10/06/2005, 14:58

by 7 on 10/06/2005, 17:22

by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 18:33

by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:48

by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:52

by billy on 10/07/2005, 16:18

by SolArt on 10/08/2005, 17:17

by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:45

by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:47

by mcjazz! on 10/10/2005, 13:19

by billy on 10/10/2005, 15:42

by jerry on 10/11/2005, 08:21

by on 10/12/2005, 08:31

by Boy Wonder on 10/13/2005, 02:10

by jmkarns on 10/13/2005, 11:00

by on 10/13/2005, 14:54

by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 14:34

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The Hammond B3

There are no comments, leave a comment.

by on 10/06/2005, 14:58

by 7 on 10/06/2005, 17:22

by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 18:33

by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:48

by SolArt on 10/07/2005, 15:52

by billy on 10/07/2005, 16:18

by SolArt on 10/08/2005, 17:17

by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:45

by Boy Wonder on 10/10/2005, 05:47

by mcjazz! on 10/10/2005, 13:19

by billy on 10/10/2005, 15:42

by jerry on 10/11/2005, 08:21

by on 10/12/2005, 08:31

by Boy Wonder on 10/13/2005, 02:10

by jmkarns on 10/13/2005, 11:00

by on 10/13/2005, 14:54

by jmkarns on 10/06/2005, 14:34

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In