Robert Walter

[johnagrandy]

I suppose I could do my own research, but since there are so many organ experts on these forums I thought I'd just throw it out there .........

[jazzbo]

Organist

http://www.robertwalter.com/home.php

[.:.impossible]

He's been discussed here before. Well-known among fans of the "jam band". Plays with Stanton Moore, members of Greyboy Allstars, etc.

What are you listening to?

[AllenLowe]

Clem - you're thinking of Robert Walser -

[johnagrandy]

He's been discussed here before. Well-known among fans of the "jam band". Plays with Stanton Moore, members of Greyboy Allstars, etc.

What are you listening to?

"Super Heavy Organ"

Apparently he's from SoCal but migrated and now is a key player in the modern NO scene (or what's left of it).

Since I don't really know my organ / R&B history I always wonder to what degree these guys know theirs. I know that Blue Note and Prestige in the mid-50s through mid-60s were making way more money off this kind of funky danceable music than they were off of more cerebral jazz. So there's this immense lineage ....

Also, I find it really interested how "making it" in jazz is defined by packing-up and moving to NYC, whereas "making it" in "jazz plus" seems to require an extended stop in NO along the way.

Edited February 2, 2006 by johnagrandy

[Guest akanalog]

well i would say part of the whole thing is sort of erasing history in the sense that this guy appeals to younger probably hippie types. i don't think the idea is to get the kids looking back through history to check out the heavy players, the idea is to front like walter IS the organ player (well probably along with soulive and medeski martin and wood).

[johnagrandy]

well i would say part of the whole thing is sort of erasing history in the sense that this guy appeals to younger probably hippie types. i don't think the idea is to get the kids looking back through history to check out the heavy players, the idea is to front like walter IS the organ player (well probably along with soulive and medeski martin and wood).

Yeah .... but even myself with my few Jimmy Smith , Larry Young , and a couple other CDs by the greats can tell the relative level of savvy when I listen to Melvin Seals, Joey DeFrancesco , Medeski , Charlie Hunter , Larry Goldings (listed in ascending order of my perception of their chops). (Not ready to state my opinion on Robert Walter yet)

I think that most of the jam band crowd may not KNOW much -- but many of them have developed BIG EARS being exposed to so many musicians who really know jazz , and can really play jazz, and incorporate that into their "jazz plus" crossover musics.

Edited February 2, 2006 by johnagrandy

[Guest akanalog]

well but it isn't about chops really, is it?

i just saw a video clip of larry goldings playing with rick marotta, will lee (who was singing) and tom scott and i do not think i will ever be able to respect him. but anyways....

yeah i mean those kids have big ears but ALSO are much more likely to spend their money on crap they can go see live, not on dead or no longer touring kind of people. which is why i guess guys like melvin sparks and lonnie smith can still put out some discs1....they can still get out there and the kids will buy their CDs.

[Guest akanalog]

johnagrandy, why don't you have any larry young stuff?

i would think someone with such a fiery passion for woody shaw could respect another progressive player from newark....

[Jim Alfredson]

This is kinda dumb, imo:

http://rw2c.thropter.com/login.asp?form_RD...Findex%2Easp%3F

"Wanna hear what my music sounds like? You have to sign up as a member of my website."

That doesn't seem very smart to me, but what do I know? I know I like Stanton Moore and if this guy plays with him, he must be pretty good. However, I can't hear any audio samples on his website, so...

[.:.impossible]

I think I remember you talking about the Stanton Moore album ALL KOOKED OUT. Walter plays on that, along with Charlie Hunter and Skerik. I don't have the album, but I think Michael Ray even pops up on it.

Go here and listen to collaborations between Stanton Moore and Robert Walter.

I have that Twentieth Congress album.

[johnagrandy]

johnagrandy, why don't you have any larry young stuff?

i would think someone with such a fiery passion for woody shaw could respect another progressive player from newark....

'Cause I don't know what to get after "Unity" ... what could be better ?

[Allan Songer]

johnagrandy, why don't you have any larry young stuff?

i would think someone with such a fiery passion for woody shaw could respect another progressive player from newark....

'Cause I don't know what to get after "Unity" ... what could be better ?

Blackstone Legacy?

[johnagrandy]

johnagrandy, why don't you have any larry young stuff?

i would think someone with such a fiery passion for woody shaw could respect another progressive player from newark....

'Cause I don't know what to get after "Unity" ... what could be better ?

Blackstone Legacy?

Of course I got that one. Actually, that was my first Woody album. I trip out on "New World" almost every day.

[Soul Stream]

I would call Robert Walter a keyboard player, not an organist. He's a good all-around keys player. However, his organ playing (to me) sounds like a piano player playing organ. To call oneself a organist requires full-time devotion and a real knowledge of playing bass and the foot pedals imho.

[John B]

"Wanna hear what my music sounds like? You have to sign up as a member of my website."

That doesn't seem very smart to me, but what do I know?

He allows taping and 93 full live shows are available for download here. (These are all from the Robert Walters 20th Congress band.)

Another 3 shows are available here, by "Robert Walter's Super Heavy Organ."

He was originally in the Greyboy Allstars, with Karl Denson. I really like their albums that I have heard. They have been discussed here before, so you should be able to pull up some info with a quick search.

Speaking of Stanton Moore, he also allows taping and there are 22 shows of his available for download here.

Enjoy!

Edited February 2, 2006 by John B

[Guest akanalog]

i agree with soul stream.

i have always thought it was disrespectful to people who have taken the time and effort to explore and understand the capabilities of the organ (and i know you guys on this board have done this) when some jerk just gets on the organ who is a piano or keyboard player and starts playing it like it's just another keyboard or something. it's actually disrespectful to the whole legacy of organ players from you guys down to jimmy smith and whoever else. either respect the organ and devote some time to it or get off it.

[.:.impossible]

I think Mike is right. He is a keys player.

[johnagrandy]

I don't know man.

Johnny Vidacovich is on more than 1/2 the tracks on the album, and from what I've heard Johnny V. is kind of the man when it comes to NO style drumming. So I don't think he's gonna play with some Hammond phony ... it's not like this CD is going to sell any copies or anything.

http://www.johnnyvidacovich.com/

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Johnny_Vidacovich.html

http://www.magnacarta.net/releases/robertwaltersho.html

What about one of these Organissimo members (man, does that sound pornographic or what?) ... have they heard any of Walter's stuff and what do they think?

I think "Super Heavy Organ" has some very funky and very well played music. There are no weak tracks. There are no weak links. Tim Green is clearly a monster , at least for this funk / out-jazz genre -- up there with Skerik and Karl Denson.

I feel lucky to have come across the recording, thanks to Stanton and Pandora.com

The percussion occasionally rises to some pretty serious heights .... check out the syncopation on "Criminals Have A Name For It" or the on-again/off-again groove on "(Smells Like) Dad's Drunk Again" (both Vidacovich).

Interestingly, sounds to me that Stanton's got a looser wrist than Johnny V. I know Stanton talked about that in an interview but I thought he said Johnny V. was the one who got him to loosen up. Apparently loosening up is part of what NO style drumming is all about.

Edited February 4, 2006 by johnagrandy

[Jim Alfredson]

i agree with soul stream.

i have always thought it was disrespectful to people who have taken the time and effort to explore and understand the capabilities of the organ (and i know you guys on this board have done this) when some jerk just gets on the organ who is a piano or keyboard player and starts playing it like it's just another keyboard or something. it's actually disrespectful to the whole legacy of organ players from you guys down to jimmy smith and whoever else. either respect the organ and devote some time to it or get off it.

Medeski doesn't play left hand bass or pedals, but I would call him an organist, for sure. I don't know... does it matter all that much?

[johnagrandy]

i agree with soul stream.

i have always thought it was disrespectful to people who have taken the time and effort to explore and understand the capabilities of the organ (and i know you guys on this board have done this) when some jerk just gets on the organ who is a piano or keyboard player and starts playing it like it's just another keyboard or something. it's actually disrespectful to the whole legacy of organ players from you guys down to jimmy smith and whoever else. either respect the organ and devote some time to it or get off it.

Medeski doesn't play left hand bass or pedals, but I would call him an organist, for sure. I don't know... does it matter all that much?

Whatever whomever Robert Walter really truly is , you guys should pick up "Super Heavy Organ". I'm on 6 1/2 hours straight and I can't stop listening. This is groovin' music.

[.:.impossible]

Medeski doesn't play left hand bass or pedals, but I would call him an organist, for sure. I don't know... does it matter all that much?

Would you? I would consider him a keys player. The times I've seen him, he plays more baby grand and clavinet than anything. I haven't seen him in a while, but the last disc has him playing a lot of synth.

Of course it does not matter to me.

[Jim Alfredson]

Medeski doesn't play left hand bass or pedals, but I would call him an organist, for sure. I don't know... does it matter all that much?

Would you? I would consider him a keys player. The times I've seen him, he plays more baby grand and clavinet than anything. I haven't seen him in a while, but the last disc has him playing a lot of synth.

Of course it does not matter to me.

Yes, I would call Medeski an organist because he has done some very cool things with the instrument that hadn't been explored yet, both in technique and sound. He really uses the drawbars to sculpt the sound expressively. He also has an instantly recognizable signature on the instrument, which is very hard to do.

[Guest akanalog]

jim, i don't like or support mmw but i would say that medeski has taken the time to understand and grow his own conception of the organ so i don't think of him as someone not taking it seriously or respectfullly enough. he does get his own sound from it. obviously he knows what he is doing on an organ and isn't just playing it because he thinks the kids will find it funkier....

[.:.impossible]

Medeski doesn't play left hand bass or pedals, but I would call him an organist, for sure. I don't know... does it matter all that much?

Would you? I would consider him a keys player. The times I've seen him, he plays more baby grand and clavinet than anything. I haven't seen him in a while, but the last disc has him playing a lot of synth.

Of course it does not matter to me.

Yes, I would call Medeski an organist because he has done some very cool things with the instrument that hadn't been explored yet, both in technique and sound. He really uses the drawbars to sculpt the sound expressively. He also has an instantly recognizable signature on the instrument, which is very hard to do.

ok. I see what you are saying. I can agree with you there. I would really like to hear them go back to organ, bass, drums at this stage in their career to see what they would sound like. Do you have the ep that came with The Dropper? Some cool stuff there.

I think The Dropper and Uninvisible were, in ways, their best yet though!