Jim Dye Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 Nice write up guys! My friend Larry did a nice job. http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/030730/mus...sic/index2.html Organissimo brings variety of styles up its sleeve By LAWRENCE COSENTINO Show me what the boy is pounding on and I’ll show you what the man will be pounding on. One score and no years ago, a gloriously square, unwieldy, growling Hammond B-3 organ served as monkey bars, bullroarer and play telephone for 6-year-old Jim Alfredson, now the frontman for Lansing’s ultra-funky Organissimo jazz combo. “It belonged to my father,” says Alfredson. “I pounded around on it, pulled out the draw bars, and had a lot of fun on it as a kid.” Twenty years later, it seems as if only Alfredson’s pants have changed. Along with drummer Randy Marsh and guitarist Joe Gloss, he’s still pounding away and pulling out the stops, this time in his own swinging organ trio, steeped in the tradition of B-3 heroes like Jimmy Smith and Larry Young. They come to the Lansing JazzFest on the heels of their first CD release, “Waiting For the Boogaloo Sisters,” an energetic, eclectic mix of burners, ballads and boppers. Alfredson and Gloss, both from Lansing, met while taking classes at Michigan State University in 1996. Marsh, a veteran drummer from Grand Rapids, was added to the group soon after. The variety of approaches Organissimo has up its sleeve reflects the different musical styles of its members. Gloss’ guitar style has a twinkly, diffuse quality, as if each note were a point of light shimmering through the atmospheric haze kicked up by Alfredson’s B-3. Gloss’ light and sweet touch on ballads gives the trio a romantic dimension rare in organ-led combos. Many jazz fans think of Grant Green as the definitive organ-trio guitarist, but Gloss actually puts Green to shame by avoiding the stock licks and one-note choruses that bedeviled the over-rated Blue Note legend. Marsh, by contrast, is a nail-on-the-head, Philly Joe Jones-style drummer who keeps things squarely on the beat and avoids the murk of shifting accents and polyrhythms. That makes Alfredson the man in the middle, constantly steering between Marsh’s beer-and-pretzel yang and Gloss’ wine-and-cheese yin. To this end, he draws freely from cerebral players like Larry Young, soul men like Big John Patton, and razzle-dazzlers like Don Patterson. The favorite of his four B-3’s, a glorious 1958 model, serves him well in this endeavor. It punches, wails, preaches, and caresses with a suppleness belied by its age and bulk. “The B-3’s changed subtly over the years,” says Alfredson. “The ones from the late ’50s – there’s just something about them.” Alfredson is well aware that there aren’t a lot of top-notch B-3 players around anymore, especially as the older ones pass on. He singles out Larry Goldings and Don Wall as two players he admires but agrees that the instrument occupies a fairly snug niche. “It’s kind of a secret society,” he says. “There are things organ players do that nobody else can do.” The man at the console indeed has vast power at his disposal, and can turn his surroundings into the cathedral of Notre Dame, Comiskey Park or the old chicken shack with a flick of the wrist. With great power, somebody once said, comes great responsibility. Although the trio can be heard each Tuesday night at Billy’s in Grand Rapids, kicking it out for the baseball-cap-and-buffalo-wings crowd, Alfredson is looking forward keenly to the JazzFest gig. “Sometimes it gets bombastic [at Billy’s], although we have a good time. But it’s nice to play a ballad, it’s nice to focus on our original compositions. The Jazzfest audience will come to listen.” Don’t disappoint the man, or he’ll pull out the Frankenstein stop and have you looking over your shoulder all the way home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 The OVER-RATED Grant Green being put to shame???!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Nice article though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 Maybe so, but I prefer Joe's guitar myself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Makes ME want to listen to the album, that's for sure! More good PR. Definitely won't hurt! So when are you coming to Providence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pryan Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 The OVER-RATED Grant Green being put to shame???!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Nice article though. My thoughts exactly. I was enjoying the article until he tossed that piece of bullshit in there. Don't get me wrong, I dig Joe's playing as much as the reviewer, but the comparison to Green seemed to be included only because Green also played in an organ trio setting (the reviewer's personal preference shone through when he dissed Grant). Writing off Grant Green as someone who only played "stock licks" and "one note choruses" is ridiculous, not to mention false. Green's playing relies on a lot of subtle nuances and, evidently, this guy is unable to discern them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Maybe so, but I prefer Joe's guitar myself... I'm not sure why this reviewer would take the opportunity to review Organissimo and slam Grant Green. That little comment comes out of left field and has nothing to do with anything. It's lame. It's one thing to put Joe's playing alongside that of the greats. He's a terriffic guitarist deserved of all the praise. It's another to downgrade one of the obvious legends of the instrument in an attempt to bolster someone else's case. Anyway, this has absolutely nothing to do with the band obviously. Otherwise I thought the guy did a great job on the article. I just thought the dig was uncalled for. I didn't get it, and I'm sure Joe didn't dig it either since he's a huge Grant fan himslef. It's like when a guy comes up on a gig, half-drunk, claiming..."hey dude, you blow Stevie Ray AWAY!" Or whoever (or Grant Green). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 It may be unfortunate that the reviewer mentioned Green in this fashion, but I think the point that he was making (that Organissimo avoids the cliches that one expects from B3-guitar combos) is a valid one. Certainly, one should always avoid these slams from out of left field as they rarely do more than annoy and offend. I still think he has a valid point, even if his attempt resulted in a clumsy pratfall... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 The OVER-RATED Grant Green being put to shame???!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Nice article though. My thoughts exactly. I was enjoying the article until he tossed that piece of bullshit in there. Don't get me wrong, I dig Joe's playing as much as the reviewer, but the comparison to Green seemed to be included only because Green also played in an organ trio setting (the reviewer's personal preference shone through when he dissed Grant). Writing off Grant Green as someone who only played "stock licks" and "one note choruses" is ridiculous, not to mention false. Green's playing relies on a lot of subtle nuances and, evidently, this guy is unable to discern them at all. Well said, Pryan. This comment really pissed me off as well. Joe's guitar playing is excellent and doesn't need to be compared to Green. In my humble opinion, Joe's style encompasses many influences without copying anyone. He has a distinctive style. It is useless to compare the recent guitar greats: Montgomery, Burrell, Hall, Green, Metheny, Scofield, (and Gloss! ). They are all different. Joe can be praised on his own considerable merits. No need to diss Grant Green like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Dye Posted July 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 I knew that criticism of Green would cause some dissention here. Well, he didn't say that Green ONLY played stock licks and one note choruses. But you must admit, that is a part of Green's bag of tricks. Don't get me wrong. I dig Grant Green's playing on most everything. Everything except Airegin w/ Sonny Clark. That absolutely drives me NUTS! BUT, I can see Larry's point as well. Cuscuna reissue revisionism kind of gets in the way of objectivity when discussing all things Blue Note these days. It's great to give some props to the underappreciated (Tina, Hank, Wilkerson, Braith, Baby Face, etc...) , but there is a reason these guys were under the radar for such a long time. Anyway, I think the sentence does take a bit away from an otherwise lovely write up. Hey, what good are jazz bbs's without some controversy anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 No need to explain, Jim. The review does more good than harm. The only thing is that readers may question the judgment of the reviewer after the rather gratuitous Grant Green comments. Otherwise, it's a good review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 The only thing is that readers may question the judgment of the reviewer after the rather gratuitous Grant Green comments. Like Green or not, unless you recognize his playing as that of a master guitarist, then I would question any musical judgement made thereafter by such a person. That's my opinion. No need to concur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Wow. You guys don't miss a beat! I was made aware of this article tonight by the guitarist in my R&B band (Joe's first jazz mentor, actually). He said, "Man, did you read that article about you guys where the writer dissed Grant Green?!?" I said, "What?!? No... what did he say?" So he showed me the paper. Lawrence mentioned the same thing in passing when he interviewed me on the phone last week. Something about Grant Green being discussed endlessly but he didn't really care for Grant's playing and thought he was over-rated. I just kept my mouth shut. I feel like I should've said, "Man, I dig Grant. You don't dig Grant?" But hey, opinions are opinions. I called Joe after our gig and read him that paragraph and he said, "Jesus! Thank God I didn't write that about myself!!!" Joe was kind of embarassed about it. It's like my guitarist in the R&B band said: Grant may not have had the harmonic concept that Joe does... but Grant was all about FEEL. And that's what connects the two, Grant and Joe, in my mind. Great feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 (edited) Well Jim, I guess that sheds more light on why he went out of his way to say something negative about Grant Green in an Organissimo article! By the way, this writer doesn't happen to play guitar does he? Well, anyway, it's nice that ya'll are getting some good press. Edited July 31, 2003 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 I guess, like everyone else, he has a pre-conceived notion of what organ-trio music is and more specifically what organ-trio guitarists sound like (ie, Grant Green) and he doesn't care for that. I think his point is valid. I think he could've stated the same thing much more tactfully by omitting the word "over-rated". Read the sentence without that word and it makes just as much sense, but doesn't berate Grant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Don't miss a beat, indeed! I was a little embarrassed, since I consistently site Grant as one of my major influences whenever asked. Yes, Grant had his licks (as we all do), and didn't make a huge effort to disguise them. But when he was on, that feel was a motherf***er. Everytime I play "This could be the start of something", I'm thinking about how fluently Grant played that tune. It's what I'm aspiring to achieve. Detroit bassist Rodney Whitaker told me a story (related to him by George Benson) about Grant. Back in the day, it happened one night that Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Grant showed up at the same club (I can't remember whose gig it was), and all three got up to play on a tune. So George did his thing, and the people said, "Cool, man". Wes did his thing, and got a similar response. Grant started to play, and everyone's head turned, because he had that single note thing that just spoke. Like Jim said, when Larry used the term "overrated", well, we all know the response that that word gets around here! Anyway, I'm flattered by the praise (in this thread as well as in the article), but would rather not be used as an example to put someone else down. Especially one of my heroes. And a deceased hero at that. Another point that occurred to me is that it just isn't fair to compare players of different eras. The musicians of today are drawing on musical devices, new languages, technologies, etc., that simply didn't exist in the 60's. Or if something did exist, the information about it was much harder to come by. We have so much information today that discrimination is needed more than anything. In the end it all comes down to how we use all that stuff to say something meaningful, and I believe that Grant did an exemplary job with what he had available to him. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pryan Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Detroit bassist Rodney Whitaker told me a story (related to him by George Benson) about Grant. Back in the day, it happened one night that Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Grant showed up at the same club (I can't remember whose gig it was), and all three got up to play on a tune. So George did his thing, and the people said, "Cool, man". Wes did his thing, and got a similar response. Grant started to play, and everyone's head turned, because he had that single note thing that just spoke. That reminds me of something I believe Freddie Hubbard said in regards to playing with/opposite Lee Morgan. Freddie said he would get up and play a solo that was his best effort, but the crowd would only offer slight acknowledgement. Morgan, meanwhile, would have the audience fired up right from the git go (in his solo), and that was due, I think, to his incredible feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Dye Posted July 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Nice post, Joe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Right on, brother Joe! It's all about feel. You can play a flurry of notes, the baddest licks known to man at lightening speeds, but it won't mean anything. That's one thing Ron Blake said to me that I thought was very kind. We were discussing doing an organ trio with me, Blake on sax and Greg Hutchinson (holy shit!) and he said, "It might be hard to get my record label people to warm up to the idea because no one's heard of you. They might want to get someone with a bigger name. But I like your feel." He didn't say he liked my ideas, or my harmonic concept or whatever. He just said he liked my feel. That's a HUGE compliment to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 (edited) Detroit bassist Rodney Whitaker told me a story (related to him by George Benson) about Grant. Back in the day, it happened one night that Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Grant showed up at the same club (I can't remember whose gig it was), and all three got up to play on a tune. So George did his thing, and the people said, "Cool, man". Wes did his thing, and got a similar response. Grant started to play, and everyone's head turned, because he had that single note thing that just spoke. Great story, Joe. Grant Green holds a special place for me. There was something about his music that vaults him above the others. All the others are great too, but Grant Green was unique. He was a terrific storyteller. BTW, guys. Thinking back, I really liked your version of "Mellow Mood." Make sure you play that again when I come see you! Great tune for your band. Joe plays that well. Also, think about adding "Laura" to your repertoire if it isn't there already. Check out Jimmy Smith's version on "Master II." Soulful beauty! Edited July 31, 2003 by connoisseur series500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel devos Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 I agree with Connoisseur, Jim and Joe...Would be very nice to hear your reading of Laura.The Master version by Jimmy is great, but check also the one on Groovin' at Small's Paradise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Two for Laura! As it stands now, we haven't written any new ballads for the next project, so who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajf67 Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 Check out the new issue of Cadence. You guys are reviewed there as well. I didn't bring it in to work (which is where I am now -- yes, pretending to be working), but I seem to remember the last line being something like "Organ jazz fans, don't miss this one!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajf67 Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 Whoops! Just got to the whole other topic further down in this section on the Cadence review. Congrats on a good review and I'll look closer next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 While we're talking about the latest article (Dad just brought it to me from the Lansing State Journal) let me say the phrase that threw me was, "Marsh’s beer-and-pretzel yang and Gloss’ wine-and-cheese yin." Huh? Seriously, I understand the poetic license of a journalist. Truth is, it was one fine read, overall. My point is that Randy, Joe, and Jim are all wine-and-cheese. Randy's tight rhythm slices finer than a good razor, if ya know where I'm coming from. I can't listen to too much radio, but man could I just keep Organissimo in my head, instead! The tight syncopation roots deep into my brain, and it's thrilling to know it's produced real-time from real musicians. I'm more of a hacker. I lead a band at church, where I know I play too many piano chords in too lame of a position. So please, Mr. Cosentino, come to White Lake, Michigan and rate me the beer-and-pretzels player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 (edited) Thanks Steve, for the kind words. Personally, I felt that the "wine and cheese" comment was Larry's way of contrasting my somewhat introverted nature to Randy's extroverted nature. Seemed like a fairly astute observation to me, and it's not the first time I've heard this type of thing. Just call me Joe B) Cool Edit: Jim just clued me in on who you are on the way to the gig. I thought something was up... Edited August 22, 2003 by Joe G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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