[HAM] A Day With Dr. Lonnie Smith

[Scott Hawthorn]

At 01:17 AM 9/4/2007, Christoph P. Kukulies wrote:
>Now remains the question: What is a "pianistic" jazz organist?
>
>I would say, someone, who doesn't know the Hammond organ very well and 
>doesn't know
>how to play it.
>
>A "pianistic" player would perhaps prefer string bass and use both hands on
>a single manual. He would hammer the organ like a piano. Would not know how
>to produce a good bass sound.

No, none of the above. He never said what he meant by it, except to say 
that they were players trained on piano. I instinctively know what he 
meant, but it's not easy to put into words. It would be easiest to say that 
such players do not play from the jazz organ vocabulary so much, including 
such things as using full chords with full organ and pedals-- things like 
that that you can't do on a piano. I would venture to guess that such 
players as Larry Goldings might fall into this category, but I myself 
usually really like Larry's playing. I think that, with so many people 
coming up who have been trained at school, this trend is unavoidable, and 
does contribute to the development of the field. Look at Pat Bianchi-- he's 
school-trained on piano, but he's a monster jazz organ player.

If it's about how "greasy" the playing is, then I'm right with the Dr. on 
this. Mo' grease!