Organ Transplants

The mighty Hammond B-3 finds a new generation of converts.



Don’t reject the organ: Joey DeFrancesco and his organ of choice.

Depending on whom you ask, the Hammond B-3 organ tradition embodies either cornball gimmickry or the apotheosis of soul. This conflict of tastes has divided the jazz world for years, and truth be told, evidence abounds to support both sides. One thing, however, is indisputable: the better organ combos inscribed an indelible mark on the face of jazz, especially during the middle portion of the 20th century. And with the recent reemergence of groove music — and the rise of modern-day Hammond advocates like Joey DeFrancesco and Larry Goldings (both of whom appear in Philly this weekend) — the instrument seems poised to stand tall well into the 21st.

The B-3’s origins date back to the late-’30s; Laurens Hammond first unveiled his invention at a 1939 convention of the Audio Engineering Society in New York. Hammond’s creation was a monolith of polished walnut with two keyboards, four sets of sound-altering drawbars (or "stops"), a two-octave foot-pedal module, a separate volume pedal and a built-in seat; it weighed over 400 pounds. The instrument was, in the words of John Szwed, "as big as a coffin, and tough enough (they say) to stop a bullet from a .45." To make matters worse, it plugged into a six-foot tall tone cabinet with oscillating interior speakers — a whirligig nearly as heavy as the organ itself.

Yet it wasn’t long before a good many pianists turned to the Hammond; they recognized that the instrument (essentially the world’s first synthesizer) was capable of an astonishing range of sounds. Within 20 years of its introduction, the B-3 presided not only over a style but also a subculture, with its own traditions and even (in some cases) its own exclusive venues. These weren’t clubs so much as joints, and the music within was propulsive and often raw; what Nate Wiley calls "liquor-drinking music." Wiley, of course, is the tenor-wielding Don of Philadelphia’s last full-time organ lounge, Bob and Barbara’s on South Street. The 77-year-old saxophonist and his band the Crowd Pleasers (currently featuring organist Frank McKay) have presided over Friday, Saturday and Monday nights there for nearly two decades.

Erstwhile Philly disc jockey Joel Dorn recently doffed his hat to the organ-joint legacy, with a compilation called Have You Had Your Vitamin B-3 Today? (Label M). Notwithstanding the burlesque cover image, it’s a tasteful piece of work; Dorn offers nine gems from the archives of Blue Note and Prestige. His obvious selections (tenor titan Stanley Turrentine with Philly’s B-3 queen Shirley Scott; guitarist Grant Green with organist Jack McDuff) are balanced by lesser-known performances (featuring such overlooked organists as Carl Wilson, Leon Spencer and Freddie Roach). And you’ve got to admire Dorn’s restraint for including only one item by the Hammond’s patron saint, Jimmy Smith.

Born in Norristown and raised in Philadelphia, Jimmy Smith studied piano at the Orenstein School of Music before taking up the B-3 in 1951. With his feet tapping out a walking bass line, his right hand articulating horn-like solo phrases and his left hand delivering big band-style exclamations, Smith could easily have been a one-man orchestra. But he usually played accompanied by drums and guitar, in what has become the classic organ trio format. His sound — a mélange of Gospel, blues, funk and modern jazz — helped spark a ’60s soul-jazz craze with dozens of organ players churning in his wake.

The most distinctive of these was Larry Young, a Newark-bred player who broke away from the Smith style in the mid-’60s to break his own ground. It’s often said that Young was to John Coltrane what Smith was to Charlie Parker, and despite the oversimplification, the analogy has merit; Young brilliantly adapted Coltrane’s modal explorations to the B-3. Over the years, his influence has proven nearly as profound as Smith’s.

By coincidence, each of the two prominent straight-ahead organists of the past decade flows from a different stylistic tributary. Philly’s own Joey DeFrancesco (who, along with his B-3-playing dad Papa John DeFrancesco, will be honored at the Mellon Jazz Festival this June) stands as Jimmy Smith’s worthiest heir; his latest album, Incredible! (Concord), even features Smith on several tracks. Meanwhile, Boston-born Larry Goldings could safely be aligned with the Larry Young school; check out his playing on Michael Brecker’s Time is of the Essence (Verve), which conveys the dark tonal hues of Young in his prime.

"Larry and Joey are aware of the traditions," notes guitarist Peter Bernstein, who will accompany both organists in town this week. "But they’re also setting up the organ to get their own sounds." Bernstein, who has spent the past week in New York with B-3 guru Dr. Lonnie Smith, appears here in Goldings’ working trio, along with drummer Bill Stewart — check out their latest on Palmetto, aptly titled As One. Then he joins DeFrancesco, drummer Byron Landham and the incomparably witty saxophone legend James Moody. It’ll be Bernstein’s first encounter with either Moody or Joey D.

If you’re still not convinced of the B-3’s current reign, look to the record bins. Early this year Jimmy Smith broke a five-year studio hiatus with Dot Com Blues (Blue Thumb) featuring celebrity appearances by icons like Etta James, Taj Mahal and B.B. King. Other recent releases accentuating the trend include Medeski Martin & Wood’s The Dropper (Blue Note), Soulive’s Doin’ Something (also Blue Note) with B-3 whiz Neal Evans and London-based Honolulu Playboys’ Between Drinks (5000 Records).

As for the future of the Hammond organ, it rests completely in the hands of its players. Consider Craig Taborn, who recently manned a B-3 in the living room of a Brooklyn brownstone, with the Mat Maneri Quartet. Under Taborn’s command, the instrument thrummed almost inaudibly, suggesting ambient music at its most spacious and restrained. This drone seemed to fill the air in the room, changing color and shifting shape as various stops were pulled. For those quiet moments, the B-3 seemed more than contemporary; it was possibility itself.

Nate Wiley and the Crowd Pleasers perform Fri., Sat. and Mon. nights at Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St., 215-545-4511. The Larry Goldings Trio will perform on Fri., April 20 & Sat., April 21, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., $12, Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131. The Joey DeFrancesco Quartet featuring James Moody will perform on Sun., April 22, 7 & 9:30 p.m., $25, Chris’ Jazz Café.