Deep Blue Organ Trio - Folk Music

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. A Deeper Blue
(5:27)  2. This I Dig Of You
(9:20)  3. I Thought About You
(6:21)  4. The Chant
(6:39)  5. She's Leaving Home
(9:45)  6. Never Knew Love Like This Before
(8:27)  7. Ceora
(4:52)  8. Short Story
(6:44)  9. Sweet Sticky Thing

Since 1992, Deep Blue Organ Trio has been working tirelessly to keep the flames of classic organ jazz burning. They've held down a weekly gig at Chicago's Green Mill and have released two highly acclaimed discs for Delmark Records: Deep Blue Bruise (2004) and Goin' to Town: Live at the Green Mill (2006). On Folk Music, the trio's first release for Origin Records, guitarist Bobby Broom, drummer Greg Rockingham and organist Chris Foreman dig deep into the well of organ trio grease. Throughout the disc's nine tracks, the spirit of past B3 pioneers is strongly felt. The styles of Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, etc. are fused together seamlessly to create an electrifying, vibrant release.

The no-nonsense swinging session, a mixture of hard-bop staples, standards and R&B hits, is highlighted by "A Deeper Blue, with feel-good blues to get things warmed up; Foreman's soulful rendering of "I Thought About You, the Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer standard; the relentless swing of the 1980 Stephanie Mills hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before, and the Lee Morgan classic "Ceora. Broom is playing at the top of his game. The blistering guitarist turns in one soulful solo after another, managing to stretch the boundaries of tradition without ever losing sight of it. Rockingham, who spent a decade with organist Charles Earland, proves himself the consummate organ trio drummer. His rock-solid playing emphasizes impeccable groove and hip solo fills. Foreman, a true artisan of the Hammond B3 style, manipulates the full range of his instrument. His slow burn on Victor Feldman's "The Chant is appropriately down and dirty. There isn't an ounce of pretension on Folk Music. Quite simply, it's a soulful good time. Keep it coming fellas. ~ John Barron  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/folk-music-deep-blue-organ-trio-origin-records-review-by-john-barron.php 

Personnel: Bobby Broom: guitar; Greg Rockingham: drums; Chris Foreman: Hammond B3 organ.

Folk Music

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Deep Blue Organ Trio - Wonderful!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:17
Size: 142.6 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz, Soul-jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Tell Me Something Good
[5:58] 2. If You Really Love Me
[5:56] 3. Jesus Children Of America
[8:45] 4. My Cheri Amour
[7:18] 5. Golden Lady
[7:30] 6. You Haven't Done Nothin'
[6:47] 7. It Ain't No Use
[5:26] 8. As
[7:37] 9. You've Got It Bad Girl

It's always amusing when a jazz snob claims that jazz and classical are the only legitimate forms of music and that popular culture, past and present, has no artistic value whatsoever. Typically, those who make such ludicrous statements will turn around and sing the praises of The Great American Songbook, meaning prolific Tin Pan Alley pop composers such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Harry Warren and Cole Porter; in other words, they are endorsing pop songs while claiming to hate pop songs. It makes no sense. So let's set the record straight: popular culture has always been great for jazz. Popular songs have always been excellent vehicles for jazz expression, and there is no reason why jazz musicians should ignore an R&B/pop icon like Stevie Wonder, who the Deep Blue Organ Trio pay tribute to with splendid results on Wonderful. This soul-jazz/post-bop CD approaches nine Wonder songs not as vocal-oriented R&B, but as instrumental jazz. Wonderful is by no means an album of smooth jazz elevator music; organist Chris Foreman, guitarist Bobby Broom, and drummer Greg Rockingham aren't simply playing note-for-note covers of Wonder's songs and calling it jazz; improvising, stretching, and blowing prevail whether the song in question is "You've Got It Bad, Girl," "Golden Lady," "If You Really Love Me," or "Tell Me Something Good" (which was a major hit for Rufus & Chaka Khan in 1974, although Wonder was the composer). But as imaginative and improvisatory as these versions of Wonder songs are, they are also fairly accessible. Take their performance of "My Cheri Amour," for example. Foreman, Broom, and Rockingham approach that '60s gem as a slow ballad, which is a departure from Wonder's medium-tempo approach, and yet, they don't forget the song's romantic, sentimental nature. From a marketing standpoint, the Deep Blue Organ Trio probably made a mistake by not giving this release a slightly longer, more descriptive title. Instead of simply calling it Wonderful, they probably should have come up with something along the lines of Wonderful: The Stevie Wonder Songbook or Wonderful: A Jazz Perspective on Stevie Wonder. Also, the recording date is listed as December 18-20, 2011, which would be impossible because the album went out to the media in July 2011. But none of those things make the performances any less rewarding. Wonderful is an excellent jazz tribute to a soul-pop legend. ~Alex Henderson

Wonderful!

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Deep Blue Organ Trio - Goin' To Town: Live At The Green Mill

Size: 157,0 MB
Time: 67:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Hammond B-3
Art: Front

01. Goin' To Town ( 8:05)
02. Once I Loved (12:24)
03. The Way You Look Tonight (14:08)
04. 12th Of Never (13:59)
05. No Hype Blues ( 9:11)
06. Can't Hide Love (10:07)

Recorded live at the Green Mill in Chicago, this album is notable for the way this veteran trio builds each performance to a soulful, audience-reaching climax. There are no tricks here, just solid, old-school grooves, hearts in the right place and focused solo construction with a sense of direction. The Deep Blue trio of organist Chris Foreman, guitarist Bobby Broom and drummer Greg Rockingham has been playing weekly at the Green Mill since 2003.

The album includes six performances, with three clocking in at more than 12 minutes apiece. Yet these tracks—the standards “Once I Loved,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “12th of Never”—never grow tiresome. The other tunes include Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love” and a couple of original blues. A DVD production of these performances is also available.

The group establishes an enticing rhythmic connection from the outset. As a soloist, Coleman takes a cue from the late Jimmy Smith; he’s a strong phraser who builds with rapid-fire lines, repeated licks, sweeping block chords and sanctified feeling. Broom, perhaps best known for his stints with Sonny Rollins, is more complex rhythmically and harmonically. He can be as fundamental as B.B. King, as smooth as George Benson and also taut and angular. Rockingham’s taste and drive remind you of the way drummer Grady Tate cooked with Smith on some of the latter’s Verve albums of yore. Recommended. ~Review by Owen Cordle

Goin' To Town

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