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September 09, 2005
Jumpin' Joey
If at all possible, I am going to make this Nightfall. Some years before I was turned on to Medeski, I had been listening to Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco -- the latter with John McLaughlin and Dennis Chambers -- thanks to heavy play on WUTC 88.1 FM in about early 1995 or so.
There's something special about the B-3 trio sound. The smooth, sine-wave bass notes from the organ's pedalboard (or, as it turns out, lower manual) seem to make the drums and guitar sound more drily wooden in timbre, and therefore more prominent in the mix. They in turn contrast nicely with the gnarly chirps, growls, and washes of Leslie syrup that emanate from the Hammond's manuals. (All together, the sound is not unlike a good single-malt Scotch.) And, of course, in between and under and over it all is the funk.
Man, if I ever have time to sit and practice, I want to learn to comp the way McLaughlin does behind an organ solo.
Does anyone know who DeFrancesco is playing with on this tour?
UPDATE: I still don't know who they were, but the guitarist was a surprisingly blues-y solidbody (Tele) player, and the drummer carried the rhythm along gracefully, and did some nice "tradin' fours" work in "Sweet Georgia Brown."
Nightfall & Riverbend | By joe lance | 09:34 AM