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Soul Stream

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Posts posted by Soul Stream

  1. Groove Holmes

    in Artists & Recordings

    Posted

    I just wanted to bring the topic of Groove Holmes back up. I think listening to Giants Of The Organ in Concert so much this week has really sparked my love of Groove again. It's hard to quantify or talk about Groove 'cause he's just such a force of nature. The drummer in my trio, Barry "Frosty" Smith (he used to play with Lee Michaels if anyone remembers from back in the day)... has talked quite a bit about seeing Groove play live back in the 60's in Oakland and what a ridiculous experience it was to see a guy eat up the B3 like that. Anyway, wish there was some YouTube clips of Groove or something. He played well into the 80's and I'm surprised nothing has surfaced.

  5. John Patton's "Soul Connection" to be released on CD

    in Artists & Recordings

    Posted

    Hey it's all good...I'd definately listen to it before returning it...you might be surprised. For me, the big reason to get this CD is that it shows where John's playing was at in 1983. His style had changed somewhat since his last BN date in '73 and if you're really into BJP, it's nice to hear where he took his playing. The only downside to the record for me is that John's solo time is pretty short for being the leader. More John would have been my call as the producer, but John was nothing if not a team player on the bandstand and in the studio. The Blue Notes will always go down as John's legacy, but this is a SOLID session with great sidemen and John playing his ass off....what's not to like?

  6. Charles Kynard

    in Artists & Recordings

    Posted

    I'm a big fan of Charles Kynard. I REALLY great organist who had his own distinct style. His album on Mainstream, simply titled Charles Kynard, is an absolute stone cold groove-a-thon. With Carol Kaye on bass and James Gadson on drums. REALLY bad to the bone. And like Dan mentioned...that gospel stuff he did showed he could do it ALL (if you ever had your doubts). Charles Kynard was a master of the organ.

  10. AOTW June 22-28th Giants of the Organ In Concert

    in Album Of The Week

    Posted

    This is from the great Jimmy McGriff article by Matt Rogers that was in two parts courtesy of Waxpoetics Magazine from Spring 2005.... Jimmy had quit the music business beginning in 1972. He moved to the country in Conn. and raised horses. After about 7 months in the sticks, hiding from the music industry, Groove Holmes called him and wanted to make a record together. And that brought Jimmy out of retirement. That record became Giants of the Organ Come Together, the first head-to-head Hammond encounter on wax. They then toured together... the article picks it up from there...

    With Giants a chart success, Sonny Lester took the show on the road. Bernard Purdie, who partook for a stint, told me, "We did about fourteen cities with those guys, and my job was to just keep everything in the pocket. See, I don't like to say it but...everyone liked Jimmy Smith; I preferred Jimmy McGriff and Groove." When Purdie left the tour, Don Williams took over. "I was the main drummer on the road. Two organs, plus two Leslie speakers, plus two bass speakers, plus my kit, sweating so much 'cause I never left the bandstand. Groove would play first, then Jimmy would ease up after twenty to thirty minutes, then they'd play together for an hour and a half, so me and Groove would never leave the bandstand; it was killing me. They were paying me one show's money for two jobs! I had to have the power to stay up on it, 'cause when they'd push those expression pedals to make them swells and everything, it wasn't nothing but these here arms coming up with them to stay on top of that groove. About four months we did that and I stayed thin man, a hell of a good workout."

    I must say, to have the privilege of sitting in the living room of the guy who helped create your favorite record, having him break down said album as you both listen to it is, simply, indescribable geeky joy. "I haven't hear this in years," smiles Jimmy, playing a bit of air Hammond. no surprise, since-like many of his other albums-he doesn't own a copy. Giants of the Organ In Concert was recorded in a Boston club, Paul's Mall, sometimes in '73. The McGriff/Groove stereophonically balanced double LP is nothing if not profound rhythm with two Hammonds, three guitars, congas and a drum kit. With "songs" up to fifteen minutes long, it's the ultimate organ jam session, full of irrepressible funk and swing. I ask McGriff how they decided on a playlist each night. "We just played what came to our minds. See with all them drawbars and stops, I know how to get 1400 sounds out of that organ. And Groove knows how to get 1400 sounds from his organ. So, it wasn't no problem keepin' everybody awake." As we listen, Jimmy points a few seconds before each change. "See, you can tell who's playing by that bass. I can hear when we're about to switch up. That's how well we knew each other's playing'". True, but Don Williams tells it a bit differently. "What would happen is Groove would be playing bass pedals and he'd look over at Jimmy and point down and Jimmy would play the pedals. Jimmy had the best bass line in the business as far as groove was concerned. I mean, Groove was Groove. He had a good bass line, but it didn't groove like Jimmy. Jimmy had a thunderous groove that you could hear a block away. And he would do it effortlessly. I'd look over at him sometimes when the shit'd be poppin' like hell, and he'd look like he was watching television."

  22. Jimmy McGriff R.I.P.

    in Artists & Recordings

    Posted

    Some of my favorite McGriff albums are one's that might be considered commercial. Such as "Let's Stay Together", "Fly Dude", "Groove Grease," "Giants of the Organ," and on and on. I'm not so sure Jimmy didn't dig this line of work. He devoted himself to it and played his ass off within it. I mean "Fly Dude" has killer version of Yardbird Suite and a funked up Healin Feeling. I think we might be overthinking it. Jimmy did it all, and did it all in a unique and singular way. He was a master who could go deep on a balled, burn bop, or funk up the Theme From Shaft.

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