Soul Stream

So Jim, how does that affect what YOU hear? Does it seem more bass heavy than usual, or just add a little spice? I bought a hamptone box recently that has two 1/4" outs, one for bass only and the other for the total sound. It's REAL handy, and when they recorded me live the other night at the club, I just had them run the usual mics plus take the bass and total outputs as well. Haven't heard the recording, but I'm curious as to how it came out. When I play at clubs, I just have them mic everything and forget it. I'm afraid if I give them a direct bass out they'll get to bass crazy as soundmen are want to do these days. Also afraid to give them a direct out of the organ for fear as they won't mix it well with the live mics.... Any suggestions on all this?

Push the LAST black key on the right, the one closest to the regular keys. Do this on both keyboards. When you do that, it controls those certain drawbars which I said to pull out. The reverse keys are called presets, most have "preset" sounds in them. the last two keys in the each row of preset keys control a corresponding set of drawbars. It's hard to describe all this w/o showing you. It IS very easy in reality. But please, spring for the Tony Monaco DVD, it's very good for showing you how the organ works and what everything does. Plus, it shows him in a club playing which will help show you a lot. Unless you have Big John Patton showing you all this stuff (which I did ) it's a hard beast to tame on your own. That DVD should help guide you.

Jim, I tried using a kickback 15 as a monitor out of the organ in addition to the 122. I found the sound shrill and unnatural and just went back to the single Leslie. I can't hear it as clearly, but it seemed more natural. Any advice you can share about using a seperate speaker? (I'd like to use 2 leslies as well, you can keep the volume down and make it cleaner which is always a problem when you have just 1 leslie it seems. Just got 2 leslie 6-pins out on the organ, so now I can use 2 leslies if I want. Probably won't though except on really special gigs. I'm just too lazy! Plus, Dr. Lonnie Smith seems to only get 1 at his gigs and he always sounds great!!!)

I'd suggest working on 2 note chords first with a simple left hand bass line (even just bumping each root note of the chord in rhythm to begin.) Work right hand and left hand seperately at first until you feel comfortable with them, and then combine them and work on that. The coordination is trickier than you might think. Start with the blues in F. "Back at The Chicken Shack" is widely the first thing played by people on organ and for good reason... because the bass is fairly simple at first and then widens later in the song. When you get start to get that down a bit, find Jack McDuff's LP "Tough Duff" and put on the title track. It's a medium-slow blues shuffle in F again...but the basslines are very clear to hear (no guitar on this album!) and he plays some nice licks that are easy to steal but sound great. This will probably take 6 months or so to get this first little step down, but I think it's a very important one that you can't skip.

this whole thread is a drag to me. i've said my little say and now i'll move on to other things.

I didn't say that jazz is for blacks only. All I said is it is a musical form born out of their struggle. Ain't nobody gonna tell me that no white boy thought up bebop. Or organ jazz. Sure there were white jazz guys along the way. But I'd like to know that the black people who still enjoy jazz today are getting a chance to know about this web forum and take part! I'm struggling just as much as any black guy that picks up the instrument. What's the point? Like I've always said, I picked the one career where being white works against you.

Yeah, we're white so we really don't matter. I've been playing blues, jazz and r&b my whole life. However, I still get people telling me I'd be better off playing country since that's my 'heritage.' Well, you know what, I'm Irish (I guess) so I should really play Celtic music. Yes, let's all play what we are. Asians play asian music, blacks play black music, and whites play white music. Oh yeah, but what about Bix and Stan Getz and Chet and Lennie and Bill Evans...they should play other music because jazz is for blacks only. And you should only listen to your country of origin's music. So no jazz for white people too. It's not your heritage.

Same here. Only moreso. Same here, except even more than your moreso. I'm SO not watching this, that I didn't even know this crappy show was still on except I keep seeing Randy Jackson on talk shows.

Cool. Have fun....

OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. BLASPHEMY...LOU DONALDSON 'LIVE AT THE CADILLAC CLUB'...ALMOST NOTHING HAPPENING?....OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD.

I guess I'm confused. You already own an A-100? If so, I'd just turn someone else onto the find unless you feel like ebay-ing or something like that. No need to have 2 if you can't play 1 yet.

An A100 for $300 and you're confused! Well, seriously, if you don't buy it. Let me know, I can always use and A100 for $300. (Oh, where is it? B-) )

That's what I like to hear!!!! Mike, I'm going to send you something. A link... not tonight, but soon. Be on the lookout for a PM. Cool. I'll look for it!

Tony Monaco's Website Have you bought it yet? If so, turn it on, pull out the 1st three drawbars all the way out (to 8) in the second cluster of 9 drawbars...then percussion "on" "soft" "fast" "third". Press the BLACK B natural key down (these are the reverse color preset keys. Now your top keyboard is in the "Jimmy Smith" mode. next put your vibrato knob to C3 Then, for your pedals...in the cluster of drawbars that has 2 drawbars (these are your pedal drawbars)...pull the 1st one all the way out. Then for your lower keyboard. Again, on that keyboard, press the B natural BLACK key down (the reverse color preset keys again). Then go to the 3rd set from the left of 9 drawbar clusters. Pull out the 1st and 3rd drawbars all the way (to 8). Now your left hand can play the bass on the lower keyboard. I suggest you go to www.b3monaco.com and buy his "playing jazz hammond" DVD. Get the 1st DVD, it shows you all about the hammond and drawbar settings, everything that's basic to jazz hammond playing. Perfect for an absolute beginner.

Damn 1500-2500 is the norm of the participants of the poll. I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought.

Hey, don't be fooled. "Whistle Stop" would be considered by most a very rewarding Blue Note date. Hank and Kenny, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Kenny Drew...."Philly' Twist"...."Buffalo"...yeah...good stuff in my book.

I guess we'll just disagree about Hot Dog. To me, it was one of the most successful demonstrations of funky soul-jazz. A continuation of Alligator Bogaloo, Midnight Creeper, Mr. Shing-a-ling. Although Charles Earland is now on board for Hot Dog, the rest of the personel is basically the same guys. I respect you don't dig Hot Dog, but I am curious if you like Lou's other 60's soul jazz organ records. If so, how do you see Hot Dog as different from the others. I'm receptive to other views, I mean in "Jackie McLean On Mars," Jackie states basically..."Lou Donaldson is one of the greatest living alto players today, do you think he WANTS to be playing Hot Dog!?"

Thanks Jim. And of course, the love comes back at you and your little one. Perhaps they'll be the Shirley Scott and Lonnie Smith of THEIR generation! Speaking of family photos, I've got to find one of my oldest sister, she played the electric organ in church when I was growing up. (I think she had a 60's flip hairdo and braces).

Hmmm... I can't seem to find this on your Ace link..

a liberty gem....

Yes, it takes a professional musician a lifetime to achieve what 2 year old kids have already, freedom w/o preconcieved ideas. Kids can play some pretty cool stuff. But then again, try to get them to play Jingle Bells and you're screwed!

Interesting, as Nate was playing "Rock Candy" at the time of the picture. B-)

Hey Peter, Thanks for the great blow by blow. Would have loved to have been there. Almost flew to LA to see him at the Jazz Bakery but couldn't swing it. Might have to wait until he hits w/Lou at Birdland (Birdland twice, no Vanguard...hmmm). Anyway, seeing Lonnie in a trio setting doing HIS thing is always a great experience. Sounds like from your description, Lonnie was in a ballad mood. Noticed in his interview in JazzTimes this month that he said to ALWAYS play the way you feel at the time. If your sad, play sad, ect. Sign of a true artist. Anyway, thanks for making me feel like a was there a little bit.

No, just making sure he's getting that steady 4/4 with the left hand bass. Now, if his legs were only long enough to kick the pedals!