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Gene Ludwig


ajf67

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Just wanted to share a player that I don't think gets enough, or any, recognition: Gene Ludwig. He has spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, so he's really flown under the radar. But he's made a number of recordings that I think the B3 fans on this site might appreciate. I stumbled on to him when I found an old LP put out on his own label from the early 60s (I think). Most of his stuff is probably out of print, but one I found on E-Bay is called 'Soul Serenade" from 1999. It's on Loose Leaf Records out of new jersey, and I got it for 99 cents I think, so it won't break the bank if you can find one. He has also done a few on Muse in the 70s I think. Before posting this I didn't do any web searches, so there may be something there too. I just was listening to it and thought I'd share.

Also, the quotes on the back are from Pat Martino, with whom he had a trio in the early 60s; Lonnie Smith; Jimmy McGriff and Jack McDuff. That gives an accurate idea of where he"s coming from. Tracks on this CD I recommend are 'Soul Serenade" and "Rejoicin'"

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just wanted to share a player that I don't think gets enough, or any, recognition: Gene Ludwig. He has spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, so he's really flown under the radar. But he's made a number of recordings that I think the B3 fans on this site might appreciate. I stumbled on to him when I found an old LP put out on his own label from the early 60s (I think). Most of his stuff is probably out of print, but one I found on E-Bay is called 'Soul Serenade" from 1999. It's on Loose Leaf Records out of new jersey, and I got it for 99 cents I think, so it won't break the bank if you can find one. He has also done a few on Muse in the 70s I think. Before posting this I didn't do any web searches, so there may be something there too. I just was listening to it and thought I'd share.

Also, the quotes on the back are from Pat Martino, with whom he had a trio in the early 60s; Lonnie Smith; Jimmy McGriff and Jack McDuff. That gives an accurate idea of where he"s coming from. Tracks on this CD I recommend are 'Soul Serenade" and "Rejoicin'"

Agreed, this is a splendid player : I got to know him thru guitarist Bob Devos who played regularly with him and even recorded : check Groove organization.

Other CD's are excellent, such as Live in Las Vegas and I concur on Soul Serenade, my favorite.

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Gene is a good friend and a great player. I saw him in May; he and his lovely wife came to hear me with Janiva Magness in Pittsburgh. Gene is currently in the hospital with an as-of-yet unknown malady. He's doing better, but doctors still aren't too sure what's wrong.

Funny trivia: Janiva and Gene were on the same label, Blues Leaf, for awhile in the 1990s. :)

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I am sorry to hear he is in the hospital. I hope they figure out what's wrong and he's back in action soon.

I split my time between Pittsburgh and DC, and had I been paying better attention I would have seen you play. Next time I'll be there.

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Living in Pittsburgh, I got to hear Ludwig often, in different settings. He was hard to beat! Difficult to pick any one time as more memorable than the others, but his trio with Pat Martino (years ago!) stands out. And the combination of Ludwig, Jimmy Ponder and Roger Humphries would give ANY organ trio a run for their money!

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Sad news all around. Cherish the memories.

I'm glad to realize I have a few CDs on which Ludwig appeared - I'll be pulling out Bob DeVos Groove Guitar and Scott Hamilton Across The Tracks but I'm really looking forward to revisiting Keep That Groove Going, led by Red and Plas. A terrific disc but I'll be paying the most attention to Mr. Ludwig.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As many of you know, the great Gene Ludwig passed away recently. Every year, Downbeat magazine does a Readers Poll. It used to be that you had to subscribe to participate, but now you can do it online as long as you subscribe to their email list.

I voted and was appalled that Gene's name was not in the list for Best Organist. You can write in whoever you want, however. So I'm asking all you lovers of jazz and the Hammond B3 to vote and write in Gene's name in the organ category. He was firmly devoted to the instrument for over 50 years and a fantastic player. He was also a real gentleman and a dear friend. Let's honor his music and legacy.

Click here to register and vote, please: https://subforms.com/downbeat/other/newsletter_request/index.asp

Thank you!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Time to set out what recordings he's done. These are, as far as I know, Genes recordings as a leader or co-leader

Singles

Mr Fink La Vere 210 (1960)

Sticks & stones pts 1 & 2 Atlantic 5034 (9/1963)

The vamp - (label unknown) (1965)

Soul mountain - (label unknown) (1966)

Mother blues/Blue flame JoCida 303 (1967)

The street preacher - (label unknown) (1987)

(in addition, there are 10 unissued tracks made for Atlantic between September 1963 and May 1964 probably lost forever)

Albums

Hot organ Time 2199 (10/1964)

Educated sounds Travis 707 (mid 1960s)

This is Gene Ludwig Gelu 1415 (1967)

Nows the time - Muse 5164 (10&11/1979)

Back on the track - Loose Leaf 9804 (c1998)

Soul serenade - Loose Leaf 9810 (5-7/1999)

The groove organization - Blues Leaf 9818 (9/2001)

Double exposure (with Cecil Brooks III) Savant 2072 (8/2002) *

Gene Ludwig in Las Vegas - Blues Leaf 9831 (9/2002)

Hands on - Blues Leaf 9826 (8/2003)

Duffs blues 18th & Vine 1056 (2008?)

His albums as a sideman appear to be

Sonny Stitt Night letter Prestige 7759 (10/1969)

Randy Caldwell Front Loose Leaf 9803 (c1998)

Billy Price Danger zone Corona 70621 (1999)

Shawnee Lake - Diamonds and sausage - Shawnee Lake no # (1999)

Plas Johnson & Red Holloway Keep that groove goin Milestone 9319 (4/2001)

Hosea Taylor - Walking the walk - (label unknown) (2000)

Jimmy Ponder Whats new HighNote 7100 (8/2002)

Bob DeVos DeVos groove guitar Blues Leaf 9822 (11/2002)

Leslie West Blues to die for Blues Bureau International 2047 (2003)

Hosea Taylor - Indubitably quintessential - (label unknown) (2003)

Jonathan Settel & the Jerusalem Gospel Singers Gospel from Jerusalem Hataklit 9405 (2006) (also Bob DeVos. Prod by Jack Kreisberg)

Jared Wilson Worry no more Tva 3341 (2-3/2007)

Scott Hamilton Across the tracks Concord 30388 (2008)

* note on dating: the sleeve notes give July 2000 but say Double exposure was recorded in a spare couple of hours after Ponders album Whats new, which was recorded in August 2002. Ponders July 2000 album was Thumbs up, but Gene didnt appear on that one.

I always thought Gene was as good an organist as Sonny Phillips or Reuben Wilson. Always dynamic. Apart from the period since 1998, dreadfully under-recorded. Good though, that he got heard eventually.

RIP Gene.

MG

Edited by The Magnificent Goldberg
to add more recordings
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As many of you know, the great Gene Ludwig passed away recently. Every year, Downbeat magazine does a Readers Poll. It used to be that you had to subscribe to participate, but now you can do it online as long as you subscribe to their email list.

I voted and was appalled that Gene's name was not in the list for Best Organist. You can write in whoever you want, however. So I'm asking all you lovers of jazz and the Hammond B3 to vote and write in Gene's name in the organ category. He was firmly devoted to the instrument for over 50 years and a fantastic player. He was also a real gentleman and a dear friend. Let's honor his music and legacy.

Click here to register and vote, please: https://subforms.com...quest/index.asp

Thank you!

Vote for Gene or you suck. :)

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  • 4 months later...

Thank you Magnificent for attempting at Gene's discography. Here is his entire discography in vinyl, cassette and CD.

45 RPM

MR. FINK (sometimes called Blues for Mr. Fink) - 1960

GOSPEL GOODNESS - 1962

STICKS AND STONES (parts 1 & 2) - 1963

WALK ON THE WILDSIDE - 1964

BIRDIE'S BLUES - 1964

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN - 1964

CHITTLIN' JUICE - 1965

MY BLUE HEAVEN - 1965

THE VAMP - 1965

BLUE FLAME - 1966

SOUL MOUNTAIN - 1966

MOTHER BLUES - 1967

MY WAY (parts 1 & 2) - 1971

THE STREET PREACHER (parts 1 & 2) - 1987 (composed by Gene)

CASSETTE

BLUES AND MORE - 1982

ALBUMS

ORGAN OUT LOUD - 1964

THIS IS GENE LUDWIG - 1965

THE EDUCATED SOUND OF GENE LUDWIG - 1965

HOT ORGAN (repackage of Organ Out Loud) - 1967

NOW’S THE TIME - 1979

CD’S

BACK ON THE TRACK - 1998

SOUL SERENADE - 2000

THE GROOVE ORGANIZATION - 2002

HANDS ON - 2003

GENE LUDWIG - LIVE IN LAS VEGAS - 2006

GENE LUDWIG TRIO WITH THE BILL WARFIELD BIG BAND - 2008

LOVE NOTES OF COLE PORTER - due to release February 2011

RECORDED WITH OTHER ARTISTS

NIGHT LETTER (WITH SONNY STITT) - 1969

NASSAU (WITH RON BARTOL) - 1984

DANGER ZONE (THE BILLY PRICE BAND) - 1993

FRONT (WITH RANDY CALDWELL) - 1998

DIAMONDS AND SAUSAGES (WITH SHAWNEE LAKE) - 1999

WALKING THE WALK-THE SERIOUS SAXAPHONE OF HOSEA TAYLOR

(WITH HOSEA TAYLOR) - 2000

KEEP THAT GROOVE GOING (WITH PLAS JOHNSON & RED HOLLOWAY) - 2001

GROOVE GUITAR (WITH BOB DeVOS) - 2003

INDUBITABLY QUINTESSENTIAL (WITH HOSEA TAYLOR) - 2003

WHAT'S NEW (WITH JIMMY PONDER) - 2005

DOUBLE EXPOSURE (WITH CECIL BROOKS III) - 2006

SYNESTHESIA (WITH HOSEA TAYLOR) - 2006

WORRY NO MORE (WITH JARED WILSON) - 2007

ACROSS THE TRACKS (WITH SCOTT HAMILTON) - 2007

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