International Archives for the Jazz Organ

In this article the author provides an overview of the history of the organ in jazz. The term “organ” refers primarily to the Hammond organ; however, occasional references to pipe organs and other electric instruments are both inevitable and useful for understanding the instrument’s role in jazz.
 
The author possesses an extensive collection of jazz organ recordings, and all titles mentioned in this article are part of that collection.

Early on, at the end of the 19th century, the pipe organ was already in the service of jazz—or rather, a precursor to jazz, the spiritual. In the churches where Black people held their services, organs often accompanied the hymns. Numerous jazz musicians later also played these spirituals on the organ. Fats Waller, in particular, embraced this church music; several recordings of his have survived, made in London in the summer of 1938, including the one we all surely know, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot".

The organ was not at all suitable for the styles of jazz that dominated at the beginning of the 20th century (ragtime, New Orleans, Dixieland), especially since it was initially confined to church spaces. The organ's emancipation from the church only occurred with the development of film. Initially, only silent films were known, which needed to be brought to life with appropriate music. This led to the creation of the cinema organ, a type of pipe organ with an orchestral sound system including drums, horns, sirens, and the like. Fats Waller, incidentally, was one of the first to get a job as a silent film accompanist at the Lincoln Theatre in Harlem.

The development of organ music in jazz and popular music was decisively influenced by the development of the Chicago watchmaker Laurens Hammond - the Hammond organ known to us all was born in 1935.

The Hammond organ is roughly the size of a piano; it has no pipes and therefore requires no wind; it produces a wide range of sounds and is not as cumbersome to play as a pipe organ, making it suitable as a rhythm instrument. These were the advantages that jazz musicians appreciated, especially since they were now able to transport the organ. They were no longer dependent on a specific venue, and nothing stood in the way of the Hammond organ's arrival in jazz clubs.

It was the musicians of the Swing era who discovered the organ's potential. However, there was no shortage of attempts to play the organ as a ragtime instrument during the Dixieland revival. Boogie-woogie pianist Ethel Smith sat down at the organ and jazzed up the "Maple Leaf Rag" or the "Steamboat Rag" [2]. Details about this arguably first lady of the jazz organ can be found at the link.

First and foremost among swing musicians is Thomas 'Fats' Waller. Fats, born in 1904 in New York as the son of a Baptist minister, is generally considered the jazz musician who introduced the organ into jazz. As early as 1926, he recorded the St. Louis Blues as a pipe organ solo. In 1938, during his stay in London, he made a series of organ recordings, played on the theater organ of the London Palladium. These include such well-known titles as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Deep River".

Waller's teacher, James P. Johnson, said of him: "There are little people who have music in their bones, but with Fats, everything was music, and you know how great he was." But let's hear from Fats himself: "Ashton Stevens, the music critic of the 'Chicago American', wrote: 'The organ is Fats Waller's favorite instrument. He is attached to it with his whole heart, and to the piano only his stomach.' Yes, I really do love the organ. I can get so many more colors out of it than out of the piano, and that always excites me. I have one at home, and quite a lot of my compositions came from it."

Tommy Brookins describes a typical encounter with Fats: "One day in Chicago, I went to Dave's Café on the corner of 50th Street and Garfield Boulevard for a drink and to say hello to my friends when Fats Waller recognized me. 'Hello, Tommy, old boy!' We had a drink together. Fats was always in a good mood, and while he was drinking his glass of gin, he said, 'Tommy, when you're done with your work at the club, come to the Hotel Trenier. We're going to have a drink, and we're going to make some music, and we're going to sing, and we're going to have a good time.' I said, 'So late in the morning?' I should mention that it was already between four and five. And then I said to him, 'OK. I'm here.' After work, I went to Fats' hotel and knocked on his door, and even as it was being opened, I could hear Fats' gruff voice, and then I saw, as he appeared with a glass of gin in his hand. 'There you are, Tommy, come in!' He took my hand and introduced me to his guests. Then, to my great astonishment, I saw that Fats had set up a Hammond organ right in the middle of the room, and when he saw how surprised I was, he replied, 'Lyon and Healy gave it to me.' (That was a large musical instrument store in Chicago.) 'Sit down and make yourself comfortable.' And then, without waiting any longer, he began to play the organ. And how he played! Fats played everything you could imagine. I knew how great he was at the organ because I had heard him at the Regal Theatre, but I had never heard him play it as well as he did that night in his hotel room."

Fats, known as one of the most entertaining comedians in popular music, couldn't hide his origins; the religious influence of his upbringing and the resulting love of hymns is often evident in his music. As Tommy Brookins writes in his diary: "After three hours of concentrated music from Fats, and although it was already nine o'clock in the morning, none of those present showed any signs of fatigue. 'Have another drink and I'll play you my favorite piece!' I knew Fats' entire repertoire, but when he started playing 'Abide with Me', tears came to my eyes. Who would have thought that this hymn was the great Fats' favorite song?"

Chorales, in general, were exceptionally well-suited to the organ, and the chorales of Black people, the Negro spirituals, were even better. Thus, wherever spirituals were sung, a Hammond organ was found to accompany the choirs during church services, but also at performances outside of churches. This music was - and is - so captivating that it was increasingly performed in concerts. Choirs became famous, singers, and especially female singers, made a name for themselves, most notably Sister Rosetta Tharpe with her "Gospel Train" and the unforgettable Mahalia Jackson. And they, too, had the organ in their accompaniment. One finds lesser-known musicians like Ralph Jones, Harold Smith, Alfred Miller, or Doc Bagby as a member of the Gospel Train (1956)

The gospel tradition has continued to this day. Recent recordings by the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir (Oliver Jones, organ) and the world-famous Reverend Johnny Thompson with his Johnny Thompson Singers demonstrate how vibrant this type of music still is. Incidentally, J. Thompson himself plays the organ on the recordings. His "Oh, Happy Day" has become a worldwide hit and also delights jazz audiences, as demonstrated by a performance during the 11th Leverkusener Jazz Tage.

Another musician dedicated to gospel music is Lou Bennett. Lou, who lived in Paris, based his organ improvisations on themes from Spirituals. Lou assembled a considerable number of well-known musicians for his album "Echoes & Rhythms of my Church." Memphis Slim, Vin Morris, and Big Jones, outstanding blues singers, form the backbone of the choir, which is directed by Dean Cooper. René Thomas (guitar) and Kenny Clarke (drums) also participate. Lou will be discussed further later.

In 1958, Brunswick released a record that won the Grand Prix du Disque: "Swing Low Sweet Satchmo". "With this record, a new form of performing spirituals has likely been found. Accompaniment and arrangement are in the proven hands of Sy Oliver,..." wrote Dr. D. Schulz-Köhn in the liner notes. Of particular interest to us, however, is the fact that the organ plays a part once again. Nick Tagg, a musician who has remained unknown to most, plays the Hammond organ.

Who would know where organ jazz would stand today had it not been for a very significant encounter between two great jazz musicians, as recounted by William "Count" Basie: "I first saw Fats Waller when I happened to walk into the Lincoln Theatre in Harlem one evening and heard a young fellow playing the organ with an incredible beat. From that day on, I was a regular there. I never missed a note when he played, standing behind him the whole time, fascinated by the effortless way he pounded the keys and worked the pedals. He got used to the sight of me, as if I were already part of the show. One day he asked me if I could play the organ. No, I said, but I would love to learn. The next day he invited me to come down into the organ loft and start playing the pedals. I sat down, watched his feet, and I copied everything those feet did with my hands. Then I sat next to him and he gave me lessons."

Unfortunately, not many organ pieces by Count Basie were recorded. He did appear on record as early as 1939 as an organ accompanist for Jimmy Rushing. The author has no documentation of this recording. However, another rarity was discovered: a recording from February 1939 of the Count Basie Octet; the lineup is unfortunately unknown, except that Count played piano and organ.

In 1952, while Count was busy assembling his new big band, recordings took place in New York. There, Basie met renowned musicians such as Illinois Jacquet, Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Paul Quinichette, Ray Brown, and Buddy Rich. Titles like "Basie Beat", "Count's Organ Blues", "Port of Rico", and "K.C. Organ Blues" were later compiled on a Verve release: "Count At the Organ".

Characteristic of Basie's organ playing was his piano-like style. Waller's influence is undeniable. However, Count Basie used the instrument's possibilities more sparingly. German jazz critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt called it a "stripped-down Waller," in which only the cornerstones remained. He went on to say: "Basie doesn't just play stripped-down Fats Waller, he also plays stripped-down boogie." Even today, Count Basie is referred to as the "pling-pling pianist." With this method, Count Basie managed to bring an unparalleled tension to his playing. Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, describes Count's playing in a review of the record "The Complete Paul Quinichette On EmArcy": "After Basie's three fabulous organ choruses in the spirit of Fats Waller..." and "...and Basie switches to the organ - an instrument he played too infrequently, considering the wonderful things he could do with it". Recordings from 1958, also from New York, are known to us. They were made at the world-famous jazz club "Birdland" together with Freddy Green, George Duvivier, Jimmy Crawford and Jow Williams. On this record (Memories Ad-Lib), Count also pays tribute to Fats Waller with the title "Ain't Misbehavin'".

Fans of Count will find a special treat in the recording series from 02 December 1974, which was made in Los Angeles, CA/USA. On that occasion, two famous pianists came together: Count and Oscar Peterson. They were joined by Ray Brown, Freddie Green, and Louie Bellson - the crème de la crème. "Satch & Josh", the title of the album, contains only one organ track: "S & J Blues", featuring Count at the organ.

Among the pioneers of organ jazz are musicians such as Sir Charles Thompson and Glen Hardman. The author has recordings of Glen Hardman from 1939 with Freddie Green, Lester Young and Jo Jones, including the title "On the Sunny Side of the Street".

Also worth mentioning is the pianist Doug Duke, who toured with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940s. MCA Records releases feature him playing the organ with the vibraphone master and his orchestra. For another recording session, Lionel brought in Buddy Cole (organ) and, with Milt Buckner, a capable pianist as well. Much later productions from 1978 to 1980 featured a top-notch organist whom we still know well today: Wild Bill Davis.

Count Basie's legacy was inherited by Wild Bill Davis, a former member of the Basie Orchestra. It's not surprising that one often hears Fats Waller in Wild Bill's playing. However, the landscape had changed: Fats Waller's jazz, with its classical influences, evolved into the jazz of "Wild" Bill Davis, shaped by the Rhythm & Blues movement. The latter originated in Harlem and spread like wildfire. Most jazz musicians were drawn to Rhythm & Blues because it genuinely combined the swing of the 1930s with the blues. Even bebop and cool jazz could be integrated into R&B. Rock 'n' roll was the commercial counterpart to R&B. It was through rock and roll that R&B gained its true significance.

An excellent representative of R&B on the organ - even today - is James Davis. In 1948, at the age of 30, he began his career as an organist. Aaron Mühlenstein, author of the book "A Live At The Console", describes on a record sleeve how Wild Bill came to the organ: "Davis was fascinated by its unlimited possibilities, and he developed a completely new and original style. He tried to play the organ like the horn section of a big band. Davis remains to this day the grandmaster of the orchestral jazz organ style."

From 1951, he led his own trio; later, he became a regular at Grace's Little Belmont in Atlantic City. In those years, after Ellington had gone to Europe, Johnny Hodges, an excellent alto saxophonist and former member of Ellington's band, heard Wild Bill at the Belmont. Johnny recalls: "He invited us to a jam session; we took our instruments and jammed and jammed until 7 or 8 in the morning." This spontaneous encounter blossomed into a long-standing collaboration. "Wild Bill Davis and Johnny Hodges go together like peanut butter and jelly," remarked Stanley Dance (author of, among other works, "The World of Duke Ellington"). These two top-notch musicians were certainly worth several recording sessions to producer Brad McCuen. The result was a series of "chaleureuses" (hot sessions), as Claude Carrière liked to describe them on an album cover, during the 1960s. These musicians included Lawrence Brown on trombone (unusual in this formation), Bob Brown on tenor saxophone and flute, Dickie Thompson on guitar, and Bobby Dhurham on drums. This fruitful collaboration was brought to an end, certainly too soon, by Johnny's death in 1970. Shortly before, they had one last performance together. Duke Ellington had composed the "New Orleans Suite", which was performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1970. Due to its great success, the suite was recorded. But even before the final recording day arrived, Johnny died. Wild Bill Davis played "Blues for New Orleans" in the Duke Ellington Orchestra without his longtime friend.

Wild Bill collaborated with a number of renowned jazz musicians. The list ranges from Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis and Lionel Hampton to Buddy Tate, Frank Morgan, and Ella Fitzgerald. His influence on other pianists, encouraging them to follow him onto the organ, should not be underestimated. Bill Doggett and Milt Buckner are notable examples.

Milt, who died in July 1977, is described by Leonard Feather as "one of the first to play R&B on the Hammond organ." Milt became known in the 1940s for his "Locked Hands" style, which found a famous imitator in George Shearing. It wasn't until the 1950s that he could be admired on the organ; with it, he achieved considerable success. Buckner, however, always remained both: pianist and organist. A typical example of this is the album "Locked Hands": On one side, Milt plays piano, on the other, organ. J.E. Behrendt's comments on this record are revealing: "The organist Milt sounds more 'traditional' than the pianist Milt. He is almost reminiscent of Fats Waller's early organ recordings - especially in 'Jitterbug Waltz,' one of the first jazz pieces in 3/4 time." At the same time, in 1968, Milt Buckner was also in Köln/Germany to perform with the Kurt Edelhagen All-Star Band. WDR (West German Broadcasting) recorded several pieces, including "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Cute", and "That Old Black Magic". His collaborations with Illinois Jacquet, Joe Newman, Buddy Tate, Arnett Cobb, Jo Jones, and Wallce Bishop should also be mentioned. A number of successful recordings with these artists attest to his greatness as an organist.

R&B is also the guiding principle that runs through Lou Bennett's music. He was already mentioned in Chapter II. Lou, who moved to Paris as early as 1960, worked very closely with Kenny Clarke.

Count Basie left his mark on another Hammond organ virtuoso, Joe Bucci, a true legend. In 1961, Joe accompanied the Count on tour, and this had a lasting impact on Joe: he tried to use the organ as a one-man big band. It must be admitted that he succeeded admirably. As a sample, the Wilkins track "Kansas City Shout" on the album "Big Beat Hammond" is recommended.

Organist Jackie Davis has been part of the group since 1951. Like so many others, he initially started on the piano, but then discovered his love for the organ. He began his career as an organist at the Harlem Club in Philadelphia. Recordings from 1958 for the album "Jumpin' Jackie" demonstrate his true mastery of the organ. His work as an accompanist for such famous singers as Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington should also be mentioned.

One of the greats of R&B on the organ stands at the end of this chapter: Bill Doggett. Mr. Honky Tonk, as he is also known, was born in Philadelphia in 1916. As early as 1938, he founded his own orchestra, which he sold to Lucky Millinder just a few months later "for a Coke", as the story goes. His career as a pianist began in 1947 when he succeeded Wild Bill Davis in Louis Jordan's band (Davis wanted to dedicate himself to the organ from then on). But Bill Doggett also switched to the organ - his first public recording was made in 1951 as accompanist for Ella Fitzgerald ("Smooth Sailing"). This allowed him to expand his popularity; just a year later, he founded his Bill Doggett Combo, with which he caused a sensation at the Baby Grand club in New York. "Although a big band man at heart, Doggett could now form his own combo of four or five players and still have the full tonal spectrum at his fingertips. His bass pedal and playing on the lower manual of the organ intensified his already stunning arrangements into a hypnotic hammering, reminiscent of modern reggae." (Danny Adler in a review of the record). Also worth mentioning is the collaboration with Paul Quinichette. In 1951 there was a session with Paul on tenor sax, Kenny Drew on piano, Freddie Green, the veteran guitarist, the famous Jimmy Lewis on bass and the no less well-known Gus Lohnson on drums. Bill contributed the organ part.

A record recommendation from his later years: During a tour of Europe in 1980, the record "Mr. Honky Tonk" was created, on which Bill is accompanied by, among others, the tenor saxophonist David Bubba Brooks.

Danny Adler believes that none other than Wild Bill Davis and Bill Boggett did more for the development of jazz music on the Hammond organ - until Jimmy Smith's appearance in 1955.

to be continued