The Safari Goes “into the morning” with Jim Alfredson’s Dirty Fingers: A Tribute to Big John Patton

So yesterday when I was reviewing this weeks JazzWeek Chart the band at number 23 caught my eye. The band was Jim Alfredson’s Dirty Fingers and their album is A Tribute to Big John Patton. Jim Alfredson, name is familiar, I know  now – Organissimo!! Love their music!! I listened to their latest album Dedicated back in April of this year. Great stuff!! Anyway, I gave A Tribute to Big John Patton a listen this afternoon and loved it, a really good album with as always some fine organ from Jim Alfredson.  And like always listening to the album has led me to…

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Today in Music – Dec 16, 1933 – Johnny “Hammond Smith was born!

When I started writing these birthday pieces my jazz world was limited. Since then I have added a lot more artists to my music library, today’s artist will be another. Born on this date in 1933 was Johnny “Hammond” Smith. From Wikipedia: John Robert Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997), also known as Johnny “Hammond” Smith, was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning “Hammond” as a nickname,[1] which also avoided his being confused with jazz guitarist Johnny Smith. Full Biography…

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On this Date in Music – December 8, 1928 – Organist Jimmy Smith was born!!

    On this date in 1928 the master of the Hammond B3, Jimmy Smith was born. I have been listening to Jimmy Smith’s music since he late 60s when I discovered Wes Montgomery and then Jimmy & Wes an album by the two masters that they released in 1966. I love to put on a Jimmy Smith album at work and well just let it flow!! So let’s have some morning music to start our Sunday and to honor Jimmy on his birthday. But first some background….. from AllMusic Jimmy Smith wasn’t the first organ player in jazz, but no…

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A Night of Jazz starts with Walter Smith III and ends with Larry Goldings and I have a lot to listen to!!!

So last night I visit MOG and jumped around checking out jazz musicians,  it started with Walter Smith III Live in Paris which led to bassist Hans Glawischnig led to Antonio Sanchez, who actually appears in my library as he is part of Gary Burton’s Quartet and appears on his album Quartet Live. Antonio in turn led to Ari Hoenig.…Reading Hoenig’s biography at Wikipedia I saw that….. Since 2005 Ari has appeared with many of jazz’s finest up & coming guitarists such as Jonathan Kreisberg who’s a member of Ari’s Punk Bop Band and Israeli transplant Gilad Hekselman A trip to Gilad Hekselman revealed…

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Lunchtime Hammond -B3 Music from Brazil’s Hammond Grooves and Jimmy Smith!!

So the other day when I was looking for YouTube videos of Eddie Harris, I came across the jazz trio Hammond Grooves from Brazil. Since I live in a town that has a large, and very important to the community, Brazilian population the band being from Brazil caught my attention. And that it was an organ trio also raised my curiosity! Since the band is from Brazil the information on online at the usual locations was sparse. I did find the band on Twitter and then found there website and their Facebook page. The only problem was that all the…

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Today in Music – 1940 – Jazz Organist Larry Young was born!

On this day in 1940 jazz organist Larry Young was born. I was unfamiliar with Young’s music until recently. That may have been a result of his early passing. Young died in 1978, after entering the hospital with stomach pains, he died from untreated pneumonia However, after reading some of the information below I did hear his music back in the day, when he played on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and also playing  in Tony Williams’ Lifetime .  From Wikipedia: Larry Young (also known as Khalid Yasin (Abdul Aziz) (October 7, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey—March 30, 1978 in New York City) was an American jazz organist…

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Today in Music – 1926 – “Brother” Jack McDuff was born – jazz organ – who knew!

So this morning the first name that I saw on the list was “Brother” Jack McDuff”, who was born on this date in 1926. It wasn’t until the third site that I checked in the morning that I read the following” Jack McDuff… with his trio, which over the years featured guitarists like Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, and George Benson, McDuff made many of the first so-called “acid jazz” recordings. Woo Hoo!…. a jazz organist that worked with three guitar great!!! I have to check him out. So I headed over to Wikipedia and found this: “Brother” Jack McDuff (September…

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Life’s Soundtrack Part I – New Music from Organissimo Dedicated

So this afternoon’s soundtrack was provided by two instrumental albums, first up was the new album from Organissimo Dedicated followed by Kotebel’s 2012 release Concerto For Piano And Electric Ensemble. Both are really fine albums! I first heard Organissimo about two years ago, when I discovered their album Groovadelphia on the Roots Music Report Jazz Chart and loved it! This trio produces some great music. At their website they write…. …. organissimo’s sound is instantly identifiable yet constantly evolving, infusing elements of funk, gospel, blues, progressive rock, and Latin rhythms into a solid foundation of jazz. Shifting meters, deep grooves, melodic…

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“Into the Night” – with the Jazz organ of Dr Lonnie Smith!

So I think that through the years I’ve heard of organist Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he is known now, but until today I’ve never listened to his music. Big mistake! The album Too Damn Hot came up on my “Just for You” on MOG and I saw the organ and said that’s good for me and it was great! Smith’s career has spanned over 50 years and he’s played with a Who’s Who of greats in jazz, he started with  the George Benson Quartet and then more on to a solo career. From his website: Dr. Lonnie…

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Dr Lonnie Smith – The Best Jazz Organist?

  Dr Lonnie Smith – Organ, Hammond B3 – Born July 3, 1942   Through the years I’ve heard of organist Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he is known now, but until today I’ve never listened to his music. Big mistake! The album Too Damn Hot came up on my “Just for You” on MOG and I saw the organ and said that’s good for me and it was great! Smith’s career has spanned over 50 years and he’s played with a Who’s Who of greats in jazz, he started with  the George Benson Quartet and then more…

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