From goodmanlawrence@videotron.ca Tue Jan 02 02:09:24 2007
Subject:RE: My Top Ten
You ever hear Larry Young’s Into Something.
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From: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of MRK7421@aol.com
Sent: January 1, 2007 3:43 PM
To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CWSG] My Top Ten
Hopefully, this is my way of apologizing for fueling in part one of the
Speakeasy debates last Thanksgiving.
Here is my Top Ten. Some (most, actually) are LP's. I am going to list them
in chronological order based I when I heard them.
1. ZOOT MONEY"S BIG ROLL BAND LIVE AT KLOOK'S KLEEK. ( Epic Records 1966 )
A sentimental favorite, my first organ LP that contained improvised
solos. I had heard the Rascals and Booker T. etc. but this one was
different.
This is a very ( extremely ) obscure British LP that was released in
the US on Epic records in late 1966 or early 1967. It features Zoot Money on
Hammond spinet, Johnny Almond ( of Mark- Almond ) on reeds and Andy Summers
(later of the Police) on guitar. I won my copy from a Salem Oregon radio
station....it is the only copy I have ever seen in the U.S. Perhaps some of
our
British list members have heard it.
Zoot tears it up from the first track - "I Want To Be Your Chauffeur".
This is a very singable solo.... and Zoot makes the spinet get up and talk.
The LP also features a cover of "Let the Good Times Roll". Interestingly,
Jimi
Hendrix's first appearance in England was with Zoot's band. I can imagine
that his idea to record "Good Times Roll" on Electric Ladyland may have been
partially inspired by Zoot.
2. BLUES IN F - The Spencer Davis Group ( United Artists Records 1967)
This can be found on the flip side of "Gimme Some Lovin". I am glad it
was released in the U.S. ( though not on LP) , because it shows how gifted
Winwoood was a such an early age as an improvisor.
Blues in F actually modulates most to the key of G, and features some
very lyrical playing on an up tempo jump blues.
3.LOOSEN UP NATURALLY - The Sons of Champlin ( Capitol records 1968 )
Some of us ( mostly on the West Coast) were fortunate enough to catch
this band in their early heyday - they made several trips up my way into
Oregon in the late 60's.
Bill Champlin was and is a tremendous songwriter and one hell of
Hammond player. He gets to show some of his stuff an extended number titled
"Freedom", which also features a legendary guitar solo by Terry Haggerty.
4.ODELL BROWN and the ORGANIZERS - MELLOW YELLOW ( Chess/ Argo Records 1968)
Odell Brown had arguably the toughest little organ combo in of its
era that was based out of Chicago in the late 60's.Odell Brown later went on
to
become Marvin Gaye's musical director in the 70's, and is credited as co-
composer of the classic, "Sexual Healing".
This album starts off the with slightly corny swing version of "Mellow
Yellow" but gets into serious territory on the second track, a cover of the
Les Baxter exotica hit "Quiet Village". A very rare find.
5. JIMMY SMITH - HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN ( Verve records 1967 )
This is LP contains one very memorable track for me . Jimmy was chosen
to be the featured soloist on Oliver Nelson's first recorded arrangement of
"Blues and The Abstract Truth", which is contained on this record.
This track is a masterful example of how to build a jazz solo. Jimmy
also uses his famous "paradise" percussion setting in which the percussion
setting uses no decay (the closest I have ever gotten to getting this sound
from
a clone is on a Roland VK8m) . I always thought that the way this organ
sounds is what a Hammond really should sound like.
6. HAROLD VICK ( FEATURING BIG JOHN PATTON ) STEPPIN' OUT ( Blue Note
records 1965 )
This is a classic Blue Note session, led by tenor saxist Harold Vick.
The LP also includes guitarist Grant Green, and features Big John Patton on
Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Hammond C-3.
Whenever I to be reminded of how to make a band groove on a jump
blues, I go back to the title cut "Steppin' Out". An absolute classic.
7.LARRY YOUNG - UNITY ( Blue Note Records 1964)
Many jazz buffs have this in their collection even if they are not
partial to organ players.
Larry Young stretches out on harmonic structures that blazed new
territory for Hammond organ, going beyond the typcal groove blues based
format.
Notable on this LP is Woody Shaw's composition "The Moontrane" , a version
of
Thelonious Monk's " Monks Dream" where Young duets with Elvin Jones and
Young's way up tempo "Beyond All Limits".
8. NEIL LARSEN - JUNGLE FEVER ( Horizon Records 1977 )
Another classic example of how to make a spinet speak. Neil gigged on a
beat up old M-3 with many major artists ( Kenny Loggins, Al Jarreau, Ricky
Lee Jone, etc. etc.) during the 70's , 60's and 90's . Another very lyrical
player and writer.... and highly influential. The Jungle Fever LP also
features
legendary guitarist Buzzy Feiten on several solos.
9. TONY MONACO/JOEY DE FRANCESCO - A NEW GENERATION ( Summit records 2003 )
This recording is a testament to what clonewheel organs can achieve.
Tony and Joey duet on the "new" Hammond B-3 and the results are spectacular.
This CD features some of my favorite playing by Joey and firmly establishes
Tony Monaco once and for all as a giant on Hammond.
10. JIMMY SMITH - THE COMPLETE 1957 BLUE NOTE RECORDINGS ( Mosaic Records)
I can't seem to leave this one out of my CD player.
It has been said that of ALL the jazz greats that were on the Blue Note
label at one time or another that Blue Note label owner Alfred Lion
considered Jimmy Smith to be the most formidable. This 3 CD set displays the
reason
why.
Jimmy Smith during this time was playing a B-2 and a Leslie 31H,
incorporating a different drawbar configuration ( 888000008) than he would
ever use
again. Soon after these recordings, Smith obtained a B-3 and the rest is
history.
Jimmy displays musical ideas on these recording that are very much
unlike what he would later incorporate on recordings such as " Back to the
Chicken Shack". Perhaps the technique was inspired by trying to get
percussive
"bite" out of a B-2 .
A lot of the tunes are bop oriented and swing hard. Smith's phrasing
displays a high energy rapid-fire staccato technique that was possibly (who
knows?) inspired by bop pianists such as Bud Powell and Ray Bryant. It must
have been startling to witness Smith live during this 1957 period, and many
jazz legends and listeners have stated as much.The B-2/ 31H combination
spits
and barks, and leaves you wondering what there may be left to be discovered
in the older instruments.
WHEW! That was a mouthful.... I hope you find the opinions expressed here to
be interesting and informative. I don't know how much you are going to find
on I Tunes though.....
Mark Weisgram
Salem, Oregon
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