JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
Jammin' On the Hammond
By David Goren
1) Music: Jimmy McGriff Greatest Hits CD - Discotheque
2) Bradley:
WHETHER IT WAS CALLED A LOUNGE OR A JAZZ CLUB, FROM THE EARLY 1950s ONE SIDE OF THE STAGE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS GIVEN OVER TO A HULKING HAMMOND B-3 ORGAN -- WITH A PAIR OF SPINNING SPEAKERS THAT GAVE IT A DISTINCTIVE WAH WAH SOUND. THE TYPICAL ORGAN COMBO INCLUDED SAXOPHONE, GUITAR AND DRUMS, AND PLAYED WHAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "SOUL JAZZ."
SOME JAZZ ORGANISTS WERE CONVERTED PIANISTS. OTHERS BROUGHT THEIR ORGAN CHOPS DIRECTLY FROM CHURCH. THEY ALL KEPT A PLACE IN JAZZ FOR RHYTHM AND BLUES, GOSPEL, AND THE EXCITEMENT OF THE DANCE FLOOR.
3) Music: window- smooth fade up /dn.
4) Bradley:
THIS IS JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER'S ORGAN SUMMIT -- WITH RHODA SCOTT, JOEY DEFRANCESCO, JIMMY MCGRIFF AND DR. LONNIE SMITH -- JAMMIN' ON THE HAMMOND ORGAN -- I'M ED BRADLEY.
concert ambience: (smooth cross )
RHODA SCOTT WAS A MAINSTAY OF THE NEWARK JAZZ ORGAN SCENE BACK IN THE 1960'S. NOW LIVING IN FRANCE SHE IS KNOWN FOR HER DISTINCTIVE BASS LINES.
MOST ORGANISTS PLAY A BASS LINE ON THE LOWER OF THE HAMMOND'S TWIN KEYBOARDS. RHODA SCOTT HOLDS DOWN THE BOTTOM USING HER BARE FEET ON THE ORGAN PEDALS, A TRADITION SHE BROUGHT FROM PLAYING IN HER FATHER'S CHURCH.
RHODA SCOTT KICKS THINGS OFF WITH AN ORIGINAL TUNE -- WITH HOUSTON PERSON ON TENOR SAX, RANDY JOHNSTON ON GUITAR, AND IDRIS MUHAMMED ON THE DRUMS - NOVA.
5) Music: Rhoda Scott "Nova." (6:20) (bs eq - help pedals a bit)
6) Bradley:
(bypass eq on last chord)
NOVA. ORGANIST RHODA SCOTT, WITH HOUSTON PERSON, TENOR SAXOPHONE, RANDY JOHNSTON, GUITAR, AND IDRIS MOHAMMED ON THE DRUMS.
concert ambience
BORN IN 1971, JOEY DEFRANCESCO IS THE YOUNGEST PLAYER ON THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER STAGE. WHILE HE WAS GROWING UP, HIS FATHER "PAPA JOHN" WAS A MAINSTAY ON THE JAZZ ORGAN IN PHILADELPHIA CLUBS, AND GOT JOEY STARTED ON THE HAMMOND B-3 AT THE AGE OF 6. BY AGE TEN JOEY WAS TRADING LICKS WITH JIMMY MCGRIFF.
IN THE LATE 80s, HE TURNED DOWN A SCHOLARSHIP AT BERKLEE SCHOOL OF MUSIC TO TOUR WITH MILES DAVIS, WHERE HE HELPED TO TO SPARK A JAZZ ORGAN REVIVAL WHICH IS STILL GOING STRONG.
JOEY DEFRANCESCO IS JOINED ON STAGE BY REEDMAN JAMES CARTER, AND FELLOW PHILADELPHIAN PAT MARTINO ON GUITAR. ÒTHESE ARE SOULFUL DAYS.
7) Music: These are Soulful Days (6:35)
8) Bradley:
"THESE ARE SOULFUL DAYS." JOEY DEFRANCESCO ORGAN, JAMES CARTER SOPRANO SAX, PAT MARTINO, GUITAR, AND IDRIS MUHAMMED ON DRUMS.
9) Music: Lonnie Scat
10) Bradley:
BUFFALO, NEW YORK WAS THE STARTING POINT FOR OUR NEXT JAMMIN' CHAMPION, BUT EVENTUALLY DR. LONNIE SMITH LANDED IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE HE FORMED A BAND WITH GUITARIST GEORGE BENSON. THEY TOURED EXTENSIVELY IN THE LATE 60S. WITH GLORIOUSLY SURGING SOLO WORK, SMITH PUSHED THE ORGAN'S RHYTHM AND BLUES INTO THE REALM OF SHEER FUNK. ONSTAGE AT LINCOLN CENTER, HE'S JOINED BY BARITONE SAXOPHONIST RONNIE CUBER WHO WAS PART OF HIS BAND WITH GEORGE BENSON, AND THE GUITARIST JOHN ABERCROMBIE. "IF YOU -- SEE KAY "
10) Music: If You See Kay (12:00)
"IF YOU SEE KAY". DR. LONNIE SMITH ON THE HAMMOND B-3 ORGAN. JOHN ABERCROMBIE, ON GUITAR, RONNIE CUBER BARITONE SAX, AND IDRIS MUHAMMED WAS THE DRUMMER
11) Music: "I've Got a Woman." - Jimmy McGriff from Blue Note Greatest Hits (7243857063 25)
12) Ed Bradley:
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT JAZZ ORGAN, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER AND OUR NEW 'HOUSE OF SWING' CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT JALC.ORG FORWARD SLASH RADIO. THERE YOU CAN HEAR THIS PROGRAM AGAIN AND OTHERS FROM OUR ARCHIVES, CHECK OUR BROADCAST SCHEDULE AND EVEN SIGN UP FOR ADVANCE EMAIL NOTICE OF OUR UPCOMING SHOWS. YOU'RE LISTENING TO JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER, I'M ED BRADLEY
13) Midbreak: 60 (music cover)
14) Ed Bradley:
PHILADELPHIA, MY HOME TOWN, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT JAZZ CITY, AND A CAPITAL OF ORGAN COMPETITION. JIMMY MCGRIFF CUT HIS TEETH THERE, AND HIT THE R&B CHARTS IN 1962 WITH I'VE GOT A WOMAN. McGRIFF PLAYS HIS WAY INTO JAZZ FROM HIS HOME BASE OF THE BLUES. AS THIS ORGAN SUMMIT GAINS MOMENTUM, WE HEAR FROM JAMES CARTER, AND HOUSTON PERSON ON TENOR SAXES, RONNIE CUBER <<ku-Burr> BARITONE AND THE SECOND HAMMOND B-3 ONSTAGE AS DR LONNIE SMITH JOINS JIMMY MCGRIFF ON SONNY ROLLINS CALYPSO "ST. THOMAS."
15)Music: St Thomas 10:35
16) Ed Bradley:
"ST. THOMAS" ---- JIMMY MCGRIFF, AND DR. LONNIE SMITH ON ORGANS. PAT MARTINO AND RANDY JOHNSTON ON GUITARS. JAMES CARTER, AND HOUSTON PERSON ON TENOR SAXES, RONNIE CUBER <<ku-Burr> PLAYED BARITONE SAXOPHONE AND IDRIS MUHAMMED WAS THE DRUMMER.
(All About My Girl kicks off)
TO CAP THIS ORGAN SUMMIT, ALL FOUR OF OUR ORGAN VIRTUOSOS ARE OUT ON THE STAGE FOR A JIMMY MCGRIFF R&B CLASSIC "ALL ABOUT MY GIRL."
17) Music: "All About My Girl" 9:48 (minus long guitar & sax solos) continues under close) for
18) Bradley:
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER -- "ALL ABOUT MY GIRL." A POWERHOUSE COMBINATION ONSTAGE -- RHODA SCOTT, DR. LONNIE SMITH, JIMMY MCGRIFF, AND JOEY DEFRANCESCO ON ORGANS. JOHN ABERCROMBIE, PAT MARTINO, AND RANDY JOHNSTON ON GUITARS. JAMES CARTER, HOUSTON PERSON, AND RONNIE CUBER <<ku-BURR>PLAYED SAXOPHONES. IDRIS MUHAMMED WAS THE DRUMMER.
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER RADIO IS PRODUCED BY MURRAY STREET. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER AND WRITER, DAVID GOREN. SENIOR PRODUCER IS STEVE RATHE. THE RECORDING ENGINEER WAS SAUNDRA PALMER GRASSI, WITH FACILITIES BY SONY MUSIC. THANKS TO BILLY ROTHSCHILD, TO JOHN UHL ON THE HOUSE MIX AND THE CREW AT ALICE TULLY HALL.
THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER IS WYNTON MARSALIS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS DEREK GORDON. I'M ED BRADLEY.