From sevush@rcn.com Tue Jan 29 10:09:03 2002
Subject:Re: rock organists

I think everyone on my list has been mentioned. I think the great thing
about this discussion is what effect these players/bands/songs had on us.

I was forced to take piano lessons by my father, a jazz drummer, who would
not let me play the trumpet (Herb Albert was huge at that time and if I did
play trumpet, I'd have a LOT less to carry:) until I spent a year taking
piano lessons. Turned out I had a knack for the keys and stopped after six
months, doing everything by ear. Unfortunately, I still go very slowly over
notation and prefer chord charts for arrangements.

Matthew Fisher - Procol Harum, and also Gary Brooker - broke every concept
that I had about the piano - and now this "hammond thing" - being uncool.
The texture of piano with organ was forever burned into my soul. My favorite
sound is to layer the S80 piano with the CX3 organ via MIDI. I bring the
organ up/down using the volume pedal and it still gives me chills.

Ray Manzarek - The Doors - when I bought my cheezy Ace Tone organ for $200
(they became Roland) this was THE band to emulate and listen to. Thanks Ray,
for making my Ace Tone legit.

Steve Winwood - Traffic, Spencer Davis, et al - I never considered myself
just a piano or organ player and Winwood was my role model. I bought an RMI
"piano" (ha!) for $400 because Winwood used that on some songs. Later ran it
through my Leslie and could "switch" quickly between piano and
organish-sounds - the RMI had an "organ" tab which extended the release
envelope. I think that thing was in tune for a month.

Keith Emerson - The Nice, ELP - I bought my L100 (sensing a pattern here?
Like someone's style, buy their gear!) because Keith used to attack his.
Paid $800 for an L100 and Leslie, only a good deal today because Leslies are
so damn expensive. L100s are still not very desirable, but they chop nicely.
I got much more aggressive with my playing after listening to The Nice. I
really liked their sound much more than ELP, because they were more "punk"
and unpredictable. I love Greg Lake's stuff but ELP was just more of
Emerson's work w/the Nice sterilized.

Rick Wakeman - Yes, solo stuff - Emerson taught me to lift classical lines
but Wakeman taught me to craft them. If my chops are so-so, I feel more like
Emerson and if my chops are in good shape, I feel more like Wakeman.

Garth Hudson - The Band - taught me to experiment with combinations of FX
pedals and styles. I never fell asleep at the keyboard but I always tried to
keep his spirit in my playing!

Not neccesarily known for their organ work, but heavy influencing my playing
were King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Genesis and a lot of classical music - mostly
Bach organ fugues, but Switch On Bach got me arranging Bach for our
rock/fusion band.