[HAM] ATTN Mr. Joe: What's the most distinctive clue? BF Test #7

[OF]

At 04:07 PM 4/20/2007, joe d wrote:

>Wait a sec, these are just "rootless voicings" your describing.
>
>G-7 chord: bass (player or your left hand/foot) gets the root, chord tones =
>F (7th), Bb (3rd, D(5th).  Maybe add the 9th (A) or it's alteration since
>the bass is already covered.

Not talking about that, which every bass-playing organist does.

>or is it the octave double (of the bottom note played) "on every chord" that
>your talking about?

Yes. It's a voicing that was used often in old-timey organ music, although 
the lower octave often came from the left hand, especially when a chordal 
melody was played. Not in this case. And no, not necessarily on every chord.

>If so, i don't think he's the only player to do this.

Of the famous jazz organists, with the qualification that I'm *not* 
including ballads, yes, I think he is the only one to do it regularly. I 
would love to hear a cited example to prove me wrong! Get out your Sound 
Forges or whatever.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about, from the Blindfold Test:

<http://www.organfreak.com/listen/OctaveDoubling-jhs.mp3>
Here the four chords are Fm7, played (add yer own bass) C, Eb, Ab, C
then Bb13+11 played B, D, G, B,
then EbMaj7, played Bb, D, G, Bb,
and finally C7b9+11 played Bb, Db, F#, Bb.

And here is an example of the old-style I was talking about, with 
octave-doubling surrounding the chords used as the melody, actually played 
by Jimmy Smith Hisself, in the Olde Style. (Very poor sound-quality, 
recorded live at Parnell's, "Polka-Dots and Moonbeams"):

<http://www.organfreak.com/listen/OctaveDoubling-jos.mp3>