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Posted

The bar is Dodge Street Grill in Salem, MA. They play generally every Tuesday night. I've been studying with Ken for around 3 months now. He has two CDs with a third to be released in the next few months. I think the biggest complement I could pay Ken is that I am confident that i could pick his playing out of a crowd immediately. He has a really individual approach. Killer left hand for funk. I personally like his funk stuff as much as the up-tempo Charlie Parker.

-cliff

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Posted (edited)

The biggest complement I could pay Ken is that he's one of the best of the younger organists I've seen (and I've seen a lot). Hope all is well with him, it's been about 3 years.

Edited by Soul Stream
Posted (edited)

If you want to see Ken, there's some video of him on his site under "Multimedia"... www.KCOT.net for Ken Clark Organ Trio. It's not his jazz thing, it's his funk thing (and uh, don't know about that singing), but.... Plus, it lists his gigs.

Edited by Soul Stream
Posted

Geez, 10 pages of OrganTalk, and not yet a mention of Toronto's Doug Riley. If youse guys were really hip, you'd know about this all-round great musician. He was only 23 when he arranged AND played organ and piano Ray Charles' "Doing His Thing" (1968, on ABC). He was Ray's own choice!

There's a hot quartet release he did "Live at the Montreal Bistro" with Phil Dwyer that should still be available. The label was Seajam, now called Triplet. Try www.tripletrecords.com. He's done duet recordings with flugelhornist Guido Basso recently, and look under guitarist Jake Langley's name for a nice one called "Doug's Garage".

You will be rewarded for your efforts...

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Hi, I'm a brand new member. I joined so that I could send this message! The band with two Hammonds is Fats Hammond. The organist you're describing was probably Ken Clark. Was he playing the bass too? The other guy is Marty ???. The drummer is Benny Benson. The guitarist chair apparently rotates somewhat. I've heard both bebop-based and more wild guys play on the gig. It's an interesting mix. Ken goes for a varied pallet of sounds, rarely using the Jimmy Smith 888000000 - 3rd percussion. The other guy rarely strays from that general sound. It's a real struggle to have two Hammonds comping without stepping on each other.

-cliff

Cliff,

Ran across an interview with Melvin Sparks that said Ken was playing in his band now. The interview was from April 2004...wondered if you knew anything about that.

  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...
Posted (edited)

I know this is an old thread, but I saw the Ken Clark Organ Trio mentioned...I'm a big fan of them for sure. Fats Hammond is real cool too. The guitarist for Fats Hammond is Mike Mele, great player, who is part of Ken's Trio as well (and actually I'm studying with Mike). Fats Hammond is still playing every tuesday in Salem and the Ken Clark Organ Trio has been actively gigging around Boston and working on a new album I believe.

Edited by jazzgeetar
Posted

I know this is an old thread, but I saw the Ken Clark Organ Trio mentioned...I'm a big fan of them for sure. Fats Hammond is real cool too. The guitarist for Fats Hammond is Mike Mele, great player, who is part of Ken's Trio as well (and actually I'm studying with Mike). Fats Hammond is still playing every tuesday in Salem and the Ken Clark Organ Trio has been actively gigging around Boston and working on a new album I believe.

Hey Jazzgeetar, you're our newest member!!! Welcome aboard, stick around and join in the fun!!!

Mark

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
Posted

It took me several years to feel comfortable with the pedals.  But I agree with my mentor:  "If you don't play pedals, you might as well be playing piano!"  I meet people all the time that are happy to see a "youngin" like myself carrying on the tradition.  We had a drummer sit in at our last Founder's gig who grew up in GR (his dad is a great drummer as well) but is now down in Dallas.  He said there's nobody in Dallas that plays the organ "the right way", ie using the pedals.  He told me the first thing he did when he walked in and saw me playing was check out my feet!  "You're for real!"

:)

No, they don't have to be used all the time and in fact I enjoy starting certain tunes without them and then adding them on the bridge (to use one example).  Or in funk tunes, there's a whole different way of using them that Chester Thompson does really well.

Mmmmmmm....Chester Thompson! If I don't get my monthly fix of Squib Cakes I get downright twitchy.

  • 10 months later...

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