What's so good about Joey DeFrancesco?

I'm trying to figure out where exactly my love of the Hammond B3 organ sound comes from. I didn't grow up listening to blues or gospel; I went to synagogue, not church; and my record collection is more big band and trumpet than keys. But somewhere along the way, I took out a Jimmy Smith CD from the library and something clicked. Since then, a well-played gospelly, bluesy organ has resonated somewhere deep within me.

And if we're going to talk about Hammond B3 organ, we must talk about Joey DeFrancesco. Essentially, Joey DeFrancesco encapsulates in his playing everything that comes to mind when I think about great organ: he swings like crazy; his vocabulary includes all of the blues and gospel licks which sound so great on the instrument; and his playing exudes the sense of fun for which I feel the instrument may have been created. Let's launch right in to a track:

In that one track, he shows off what's made him one of the best in the world: gospelly goodness off the top, great blues licks, and technical virtuosity. What you might not have noticed - especially if you haven't seen many organists play live - is what's happening underneath the keyboard. While his hands are busy playing the chords and melodies (and soloing), Joey's feet are busy holding down the bass line. I don't know enough about how organists train to suggest that all organists learn this skill; what I do know - having seen a few - is that not all organists use their feet in performance. Just another notch in the "complete package" column for DeFrancesco! Here's a clip demonstrating his fancy footwork:

Any great musician - and any great combo - knows exactly when to ratchet up the tension or the excitement in a performance. For me, somehow the sound of the organ heightens that musical tension even more. Maybe it's the way certain chords sound and feel especially crunchy - so when they resolve, the resolution is particularly satisfactory. I'm not sure. What I do know is that Joey DeFrancesco understands perfectly how to create and release musical tension, and how best to use the instrument to his advantage. Here's a clip of two organ masters - Joey along with Dr. Lonnie Smith - which demonstrates two different styles of organ playing:

Joey DeFrancesco takes the stage along with Jeff Parker (guitar) and George Fludas (drums) on June 25, 8 pm at the Horseshoe Tavern. Buy tickets now or, for more information, visit his concert page.

Josh