Cecil Brooks III - Double Exposure

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 108,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. On the Trail
(6:10)  2. Serenade in Blue
(7:34)  3. Tea for Two
(6:32)  4. Bird of Beauty
(6:35)  5. Double Exposure
(5:07)  6. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(6:09)  7. You've Changed
(2:51)  8. Cute

The liner notes for Double Exposure recount that the disc was recorded in a few spare hours that drummer Cecil Brooks III and organist Gene Ludwig found themselves with while they were recording another album. That feeling of spontaneity and casual inspiration is very present on this rare organ and drum duo effort. Ludwig is a veteran who has been performing since the early '60s. His style is very much in the same vein as the other more well-known soul-jazz players of the era. He achieves a rich, stately and swinging feel, all at the same time. His work at the end of "Serenade in Blue reveals the majesty of Hammond B-3 in full flight with a long, sustained burst of sound. Elsewhere, on Stevie Wonder's "Black Beauty, Ludwig takes an opposite route, showing off some fast finger work. Brooks' playing throughout is steady and unobtrusive. He seems to sense that the best path to take when backing up an organ player is to keep things simple and make sure the proceedings don't get too abstract or loose. On his own composition, "Double Exposure, Brooks opens with some tensely rhythmic pounding that morphs into a slinking groove. He also gets to strut his stuff with some skittering breaks on Neal Hefti's "Cute.  Double Exposure is a fine, relaxed effort showcasing two musicians who play together with a great deal of comfort and conversational grace. The recording session was definitely a few hours of time well spent. ~ Stephen Latessa https://www.allaboutjazz.com/double-exposure-cecil-brooks-iii-savant-records-review-by-stephen-latessa.php

Personnel: Cecil Brooks III: drums; Gene Ludwig: organ.

Double Exposure

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Gene Ludwig - Love Notes Of Cole Porter

Size: 136,9 MB
Time: 58:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. What Is This Thing Called Love (6:32)
02. Everything I Love (6:53)
03. I Love You (4:40)
04. Begin The Beguine (7:21)
05. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (4:23)
06. Every Time We Say Goodbye (6:01)
07. Rosalie (4:36)
08. Why Can't You Behave? (5:12)
09. Night And Day (5:23)
10. Dream Dancing (7:50)

The release of Gene Ludwig's Love Notes Of Cole Porter is a bittersweet event. While this collection of music shines a spotlight on one of the great, under-recognized organ talents in the world of jazz, it also marks the final recording from this mainstay of the Pittsburgh jazz scene. Ludwig passed away suddenly in the summer of 2010, leaving behind his loving wife Pattye, a rich legacy and solid reputation within the jazz community, and an unreleased collection of Cole Porter tunes from his final recording session, in the fall of 2008.

Now, thanks to Pattye Ludwig's devotion, this music has reached the marketplace, and though she notes that "this CD is a gift back to Gene," it's actually a gift to any true fan of the organ jazz tradition. Ludwig's last recording covers ten Porter tunes, ranging from the oft-covered "Night And Day" to the rarely noticed "Rosalie," and highlights his solid technique and exceptional taste.

The program is split evenly between trio and quartet performances, giving Ludwig an opportunity to shine in two different settings. On the quartet numbers, tenor saxophonist Lou Stellute is often tapped to dish out the melodies, delivering soulful lines on "Why Can't You Behave?" and nonchalant statements on "Everything I Love," but Ludwig is still the star here, delivering his most impressive performances in some unexpected places. Drifting songs, like the aforementioned "Why Can't You Behave?" and the album-closing "Dream Dancing," give Ludwig some space to to open up and deliver some fluid, yet elastic runs that somehow manage to fit perfectly within the mannered pace of these pieces. Ludwig impresses even more when he takes on "Begin The Beguine"—rarely covered anymore and seen as kitsch in some jazz circles—hitting a grand slam with his stellar solo work.

When the organist isn't at center stage, he has no problem supporting Stellute or guitarist Mark Strickland, who serves as Ludwig's traveling companion on all ten numbers, delivering soulful statements and swinging lines in a hip, understated fashion. Hints of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green can be found in Strickland's single note lines, but he takes these influences and fashions them in his own way.

While some may look back fondly and remember Ludwig for his stint with saxophonist Sonny Stitt as the '60s drew to a close, or for his albums on labels both big (Atlantic Records) and small (Blues Leaf), his legacy reaches beyond these mere footnotes in his life. Ludwig was a true gentleman of the jazz organ and a genuine artist to the very end. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Gene Ludwig: organ; Mark Strickland: guitar; Lou Stellute: tenor saxophone (1-3, 5, 8); Thomas Wendt: drums (1, 3, 5, 7, 9); Billy Kuhn: drums (2, 4, 6, 8, 10).

Love Notes Of Cole Porter

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Sonny Stitt - Soul Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Soul jazz
Year: 1988/2006
Art: Front

[7:11] 1. Soul Shack
[6:39] 2. When Sunny Gets Blue
[5:50] 3. Night Crawler
[3:49] 4. Goin' Down Slow
[5:14] 5. Night Letter
[4:05] 6. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
[8:34] 7. Walk On By
[3:27] 8. Lover Man
[7:22] 9. Goin' To D.C

Sonny Stitt (alto, tenor & Varitone saxophones); Virgil Jones (trumpet); Hank Jones (piano); Jack McDuff, Don Patterson, Gene Ludwig, Leon Spencer (organ); Eddie Diehl, Pat Martino, Grant Green, Billy Butler, Melvin Sparks (guitar); Leonard Gaskin, George Duvivier (bass); Herbie Lovelle, Art Taylor, Billy James, Idris Muhammad, Randy Gelispie (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).

Fine playing, frequently galvanizing solos.1988 reissue of cuts from 1962-1972. ~ Ron Wynn

Soul Classics

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Scott Hamilton & Friends - Across The Tracks

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 130,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(6:24)  1. Deuces Wild
(5:35)  2. Parker's Pals
(5:41)  3. Save Your Love For Me
(8:15)  4. Cop Out
(5:34)  5. Intermission Riff
(4:25)  6. Sweet Slumber
(7:48)  7. Something For Red
(8:58)  8. Blue Turning Gray Over You
(4:08)  9. Memories Of You

A tenor saxophonist standing foursquare and unreconstructed in the tradition established by Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Illinois Jacquet, Scott Hamilton is considered so uncool in some quarters that to admit you enjoy him is to risk being shunned by hip society. Now in his mid-fifties and playing a brand of jazz that was at its peak before he was born, Hamilton hasn't deviated from his style since his debut album, Scott Hamilton Is A Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill (Concord, 1977), recorded when he was just 23. Since then he's made another sixty-plus discs as leader or co-leader an output, interestingly, which in jazz is matched only by saxophonists directly opposite him on the stylometer, like Anthony Braxton or Evan Parker. In the process, Hamilton's honeyed sound and easy swing have given all but the most po-faced pleasure. He plays the style he plays guilelessly and with conviction, as though born to it. His music has degrees of creativity absent from the pasticheurs. Retro he might be, revivalist he certainly isn't. Across 

The Tracks, produced by Bob Porter and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood, New Jersey studio (hence the title), is an infectious set of mainly up-tempo ballads and blues, on which Hamilton fronts a quartet completed by guitarist Duke Robillard, organist Gene Ludwig and drummer Chuck Riggs. Baritone saxophonist Doug James is added on two tracks, "Parker's Pals" and "Intermission Riff." The guitar/organ/drums line-up suggests chicken shack soul-jazz, circa 1960 and on one track, an ebullient reading of "Something For The Road," Hamilton adopts an appropriately vocalized and raw tone. But elsewhere he favors the warm, caressing sound, given a languorous vibrato at slower tempos, for which he's best known. Hamilton is brilliantly served by his band. 

Robillard's elliptical solos are magic, giving fresh nuances to familiar structures, and even when comping he's worth listening to. James shines on his two guest appearances, particularly the boppish "Parker's Pals," written by fellow baritone player Leo Parker and first heard on Parker's Let Me Tell You 'Bout It (Blue Note, 1962), now available in a fine Van Gelder remastered edition. Ludwig and Riggs, who has played with Hamilton on and off for over thirty years, cook from start to finish. Forget the style police and give yourself a treat. Scott Hamilton may not stretch the envelope, but he surely seals it with a kiss.~Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/across-the-tracks-scott-hamilton-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Scott Hamilton: tenor saxophone;  Duke Robillard: electric guitar;  Gene Ludwig: organ;  Chuck Riggs: drums;  Doug James: baritone saxophone (2, 5).

Across The Tracks

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Gene Ludwig - Back On The Track

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:30
Size: 150.0 MB
Styles: B-3 organ jazz, Soul jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[5:37] 1. In Walked Bud
[6:11] 2. Memphis Underground
[6:47] 3. For Lena And Lenny
[6:03] 4. River's Invitation
[5:24] 5. Back On The Track
[5:52] 6. Triste
[9:31] 7. The First String
[7:28] 8. At Last
[4:37] 9. Papa Gee
[7:56] 10. Birk's Works

This CD shows organist Gene Ludwig's unabashed love for soul and blues pure and simple, which is not surprising since he is a native of that area of Pennsylvania which spawned so many of the giants of jazz and blues. Ludwig is no newcomer to the scene, having been performing since the 1960s; he got a big break in 1969 when he recorded with Sonny Stitt and another break when he toured with singer Arthur Prysock. Ludwig has listened to all the great practitioners of the Hammond B3, from the blues/soul promenading of Jimmy Smith to the swinging organs of Bill Doggett and Wild Bill Davis. These listening experiences are reflected on this album as he pulls out all the stops, literally and figuratively, in running through a variety of musical styles. He and guitarist Tony Janflone Sr. team up on "At Last," laying on a melancholy, whimsical sound unique to an organ/guitar combination. The swing comes to the fore with a relaxed medium tempo "Back on the Track," one of Ludwig's compositions. "In Walked Bud" echoes the many bop credentials on Ludwig's extensive resumé. But no matter the genre, swing, bop, ballad, or Latin, they all have that soul tone that has earned the Hammond B3 organ a special niche in jazz. Ludwig is joined by players sympathetic to his musical agenda. In addition to Janflone, fine guitar player Randy Caldwell sits in on three racks and is particularly effusive on the bouncy arrangement of his tune "Papa Gee." The drumming and percussive support by Messrs. Muchoney, Gelispie, and Jones is first rate. Ludwig's first album as a leader since his last recording for Muse almost 20 years ago, the appropriately named Back on the Track successfully welcomes the fine organist back to the fray. The CD is recommended for jazz lovers in general and for jazz organ enthusiasts in particular. ~Dave Nathan

Back On The Track

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Gene Ludwig - The Groove Organization

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:00
Size: 146.5 MB
Styles: B3 Organ jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:39] 1. Chitlins Con Carne
[8:07] 2. One Mint Julep
[6:12] 3. Step Lightly
[6:07] 4. Mood Indigo
[4:42] 5. Pause For Fred's Claws
[5:36] 6. Billie's Bounce
[7:23] 7. Sugar
[5:55] 8. All Blues
[9:04] 9. You've Changed
[5:11] 10. It's You Or No One

Comprised of craftsmanship and inspiration in equal measure, Hammond B-3 organist Gene Ludwig’s The Groove ORGANization (Blues Leaf) thrives within the broad, well-trod parameters of soul-jazz. Ludwig and his partners guitarist Bob DeVos and drummer Billy James pull off the admirable feat of making music that has an aura of good times, yet is substantial and thought provoking. The overall sound is blues and soul saturated, minus any hint of cliché or grandstanding. Although this is jazz that provides visceral pleasure in the sure-handed presentation of familiar, seemingly basic elements, the trio’s serious play rewards the listener who pays close attention to their every move.

Utilizing a tight, high-pitched snare drum and a ride cymbal, James’ unwavering shuffle beat throughout “One Mint Julep” creates an infectious, jaunty strut that never falters. A laconic, plainspoken player who takes his time in expressing a bottomless well of ideas, DeVos is a thinking person’s guitar hero. Favoring small but significant gestures and orderly development, his solo manages to sound both calculated and ardent. Ludwig follows the guitarist and displays an equally broad palette, unearthing a phrase and working it into various forms before seamlessly moving on to another one, often working up to rousing climaxes.

A deliberate, easy swinging treatment of Joe Henderson’s “Step Lightly” exposes another side of the trio’s artistry. While DeVos plays the melody in a relaxed manner, James’ quarter note ride cymbal rhythm firmly moves the music forward. During three improvised choruses, the guitarist generally keeps things on low boil, playing with purpose but not sounding overly insistent. In addition to a full, liquid tone, it’s his restraint and avoidance of excessive velocity that makes DeVos sound so convincing. Boosted by James’ persistent, irregularly placed accents on the snare, Ludwig is equally impressive, enlarging a deep, soulful groove with flighty digressions that always come back home.

Ludwig and DeVos are brilliant, knowing bebop players, and on an up-tempo “Billie’s Bounce,” each man respects the style’s conventions without sounding restrained or hemmed in by them. Using both sticks and his hands, James’ extended solo (the veteran’s first on record) throws it all out the window in favor of something more idiosyncratic and less rule governed. His playing is an absorbing patchwork of shifting rhythms and tempos, executed with a combination of finesse and strength that swings mightily, hangs together as a whole, and exudes an air of absolute certainty. ~David A. Orthmann

Gene Ludwig--Hammond B-3 Organ; Bob DeVos--Guitar; Billy James--Drums.

The Groove Organization

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Bob DeVos - DeVos' Groove Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:30
Size: 140.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[5:12] 1. Tom Thumb
[7:07] 2. The Look Of Love
[7:04] 3. Driftin'
[6:18] 4. Prayin' For Your Return
[8:37] 5. The End Of A Love Affair
[6:59] 6. Cantaloupe Island
[8:28] 7. Round Midnight
[4:59] 8. Coming Home Baby
[6:42] 9. Come Rain Or Come Shine

Bob’s second CD features Bob with Hammond B-3 master Gene Ludwig and legendary drummer Billy James, and includes Emedin Rivera on percussion.

Guitarist Bob DeVos has been on the jazz scene for decades as he worked with such luminaries as Sonny Stitt, Jimmy McGriff and Pat Martino. Recently, he has been a member of Ron McClure’s quartet. But even as he has remained busy with numerous gigs, his recording career hasn’t been as active as his talent deserves. Producer Jack Kreisberg--who has helped Pittsburgh B-3 organist Gene Ludwig receive belated recognition as well--did something about DeVos’ relatively low public profile. He called him to the attention Joe Morabia of the Loose Leaf Records label after Kreisberg heard DeVos performing at a jazz organ summit set up by WBGO-FM announcer Dorthaan Kirk, the widow of "Rahsaan" Roland Kirk. The result is DeVos’ Groove Guitar!, appropriately entitled right down to the exclamation mark.

Not that DeVos’ style consists of a series of exclamations, for he’s too proficient and low key for that. Rather, the excitement from DeVos’ playing comes directly from the groove, which Ludwig helps establish along with drummer Billy James, who had performed with groove organist Don Patterson and Sonny Stitt. Indeed, all three musicians have remained dedicated to the well-known B-3 organ/guitar sound, made famous by the likes of Jimmy Smith/Quentin Warren or Jack McDuff/George Benson. And the trio’s interests are in the groove itself, rather than in the entertaining pyrotechnics sometimes associated with Dr. Lonnie Smith or the sonic experimentations of Larry Goldings.

Laid back and obviously enjoying themselves, DeVos’ group breezes through the CD’s 9 tunes selected by DeVos himself based upon his interest in recording them. Varied from Thelonious Monk’s "Round Midnight" to Burt Bacharach’s "The Look of Love," DeVos approaches all of the music with an ease that invites the listener to enjoy the music. From the soulful appeal of Curtis Mayfield’s "Prayin’ for Your Return" to the now-famous vamp of Herbie Hancock’s "Cantaloupe Island," the trio takes all of the tracks at a medium tempo that allows for opportunities to stretch out and explore their inherent melodic possibilities. In spite of the differences in the styles for which the tunes originally were written, DeVos finds the common element of groove to link them all.

His public awareness relatively low compared to other recording jazz guitarists, Bob DeVos has remained steadfast in the essential elements of his style: melodic clarity, logical solo construction, assured confidence, a ringing tone and an irresistible groove on his guitar(!). He certainly deserves the attention that DeVos’ Groove Guitar! will bring him. ~Don Williamson

DeVos' Groove Guitar

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Gene Ludwig & Pat Martino Trio - Young Guns

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:54
Size: 176,3 MB
Art: Front

(13:40)  1. Who Can I Turn To ?
( 8:18)  2. Mr. PC
(12:58)  3. Sam Sack
( 9:27)  4. Watch What Happens
(12:26)  5. Close Your Eyes
( 8:00)  6. Road Song
(12:02)  7. Colossus

The name Young Guns seems ironically amiss until one learns that this recording dates from 1968-69 when organist Gene Ludwig was thirty years old, guitarist Pat Martino twenty-three and drummer Randy Gelispie somewhere in that neighborhood, long before he became fondly known as "Uncle G." The organ trio was in its heyday then, and this one was caught on tape during an exciting live date at Club 118 in Louisville, KY. How many other such performances have been lost forever owing to the absence of a tape recorder or the failure to turn it on is anyone's guess. But this one, thank goodness, has been preserved for present-day ears to appreciate. Ludwig, an admirer of Jimmy Smith and forerunner of Joey DeFrancesco and other Hammond masters, sprays bluesy notes and ideas all over the landscape, while Martino, a lyrical machine, has the proper phrase for every occasion, whether rushing quickly forward or simply hanging loose. Gelispie, a splendid soloist when his number is called, serves as the trio's rhythmic anchor, deftly shaping the time as Ludwig and Martino zigzag around and through it. 

To put it another way, all three are at the top of their respective games. This is clear from the outset, a fast-moving rendition of Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley's "Who Can I Turn To?" Everyone is smoking on that one, and even more so on the usually even-tempered standard "Close Your Eyes," wherein the accelerator is pressed to the floor and the trio burns some serious rubber. The pace slackens to a degree on Wes Montgomery's groovy "Road Song," then resumes apace on Martino's animated finale, "Colossus." Leading the threesome there are John Coltrane's engaging "Mr. PC," Milt Jackson's funky "Sam Sack" and Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens," a gentle samba that is as close to a ballad as anything the crew undertakes. Even more than forty years onward, the themes sound fresh and charming, thanks to the commingled talents of Messrs Ludwig, Martino and Gelispie who underscore the premise that good music is always in style. 

Even though the Young Guns no longer answer to that name, they leave no doubt in this colorful scrapbook why it was once very much their province. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/young-guns-gene-ludwig-highnote-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php
 

Personnel: Pat Martino: guitar; Gene Ludwig: Hammond B-3 organ; Randy Gelispie: drums.

Young Guns

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Gene Ludwig Trio With Bill Warfield Big Band - Duffs Blues: Live From The Zoellner Arts Center

Styles: Soul Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:38
Size: 165,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:00)  1. Duff's Blues (Live)
( 7:46)  2. Totem Pole  (Live)
( 6:26)  3. The Organ Grinder  (Live)
( 7:22)  4. The Circuit  (Live)
( 9:40)  5. Naked City  (Live)
( 8:31)  6. Dance Of The Coal Cars  (Live)
(11:35)  7. Dolphin Dance  (Live)
(11:14)  8. Breakin' The Ice  (Live)

It’s too bad the Hammond B3 organ isn’t showcased more often with a big band. It’s a terrific combine producing a big, deep, meaty sound. Case in point: this CD, putting together veteran B3 organist Gene Ludwig, who got his start four decades ago in Pittsburgh, and Big Apple trumpeter Bill Warfield’s Big Band. Ludwig’s trio provides guitarist Bob DeVos and drummer Rudy Petschauer, while Warfield provides arrangements and fields the brass, reeds and bassist Bob Bowen. This isn’t one of those either/or situations where big band or organ trio play; there’s a lot of interaction between the two, with Warfield providing ensemble riffs, shout choruses, solos and composed interludes to keep the big-band feel alive even during long solos and tracks. 

Ludwig’s “Duff’s Blues” kicks things off with a dollop of soul jazz: a B3 lead segues into churning big band and organ, Joe Wilder blows a zesty trumpet solo, Tim Sessions offers brash trombone, and the band fades to choruses of B3 licks traded with guitar (catch the “Killer Joe” allusions) before a drum-break finale. The amazing Wilder (an octogenarian since 2002) brings his burnished tone and articulate ideas to a long solo on Lee Morgan’s Latin-with-4/4 bridge “Totem Pole,” while Warfield takes the trumpet solo on Woody Shaw’s “The Organ Grinder.” Ludwig, who favors the resonant middle register of the B3 and avoids the repetitive clichés of soul organ, is a robust presence throughout the CD as both soloist and ensemble fattener. Warfield’s arrangements swing and/or groove with exhilarating authority, from a classic take on “Dolphin Dance” to the funky percolation of his own “Dance of the Coal Cars.” The tenor saxophones of Dave Riekenberg and Glenn Cashman, who also arranged his own rippling, jumpy “The Circuit,” fit right in the brawny B3 combo tradition, and it’s good to hear such yeomen in the New York big-band trenches as baritone saxophonist Ed Xiques and bass trombonist Sam Burtis stretch out on solos. ~ George Kanzler  http://jazztimes.com/articles/20824-duff-s-blues-live-from-the-zoellner-arts-center-gene-ludwig-trio-with-the-bill-warfield-big-band

Personnel: Gene Ludwig (organ, Hammond b-3 organ); Bob DeVos (guitar); Ben Ken (alto saxophone); Jon Owens, Bill Warfield, Danny Cahn (trumpet); Tim Sessions (trombone); Randy Petshauer (drums); Glenn Cashman (tenor saxophone); Ed Xiques (baritone saxophone); Dave Spier, Joe Wilder (trumpet); Sam Burtis (trombone).

Duffs Blues:Live From The Zoellner Arts Center

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Gene Ludwig - Hands On

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:13
Size: 147.0 MB
Styles: Hammond organ jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[6:10] 1. Louie And Jazz
[4:49] 2. Unit 7
[6:12] 3. Groove Yard
[7:46] 4. Willow Weep For Me
[5:26] 5. Groove Merchant
[5:25] 6. Groovy Samba
[7:10] 7. Baby Don't Go Away Mad
[7:13] 8. Pete Kelly's Blues
[6:33] 9. Layin' Back
[4:23] 10. Have You Met Miss Jones
[3:02] 11. Spiritual

This is a very likeable B3 album, and notably for people who are not enamored of tenor sax-organ dates. Gene Ludwig, a longtime Pittsburgh musician with a history of 40 years of plugging away at this genre, has pulled out all the "stops." Ludwig has recorded seven sessions including one on Muse in 1979, all with local musicians, and on independent labels. You've got to hand it to someone who has consistently produced quality sessions and still comes back with more.

Ludwig has smartly programmed this album with two originals, three standards and, on the remaining tracks, five "organ party anthems." Sam Jones' "Unit 7" ostensibly has no connection with the B3 but it was Cannonball Adderley's intro and outro theme for a long time and it fits the bill perfectly. Jerome Richardson's "Groove Merchant" (which came first, the song or the record label?) is a highly under-recorded bounce tempo from the late '60s with the Hammond filling in the horn riffs. "Baby Don't You Go Away Mad," which I remember quite distinctly as Illinois Jacquet's "Black Velvet," swings mightily, as when Sinatra had it in his repetoire.

Pianist Carl Perkins' "Groove Yard," popularized by the Montgomery Brothers, is a fine medium tempo blues. "Willow Weep for Me" is done as a boozy, crying-in-your-beer mode just as if Jimmy Smith and Hank Mobley were blowing it. Ludwig's own "Louie and Jazz" is a perfect '50s-'60s Blue Note hard bop melody line, and until I read the composer credits I was searching mentally for the tune's name and songwriter. I was only disappointed in the closer "Spiritual" which is a solo B3 recitation that you might hear as recessional music at Sunday morning services.

This combo is one that Ludwig has worked with consistently over the past few years. Ken Karsh, a good melody player on guitar, gets ample solo time and makes his point concisely. Tom Wendt, takes care of the percussion, keeps the album moving along nicely. Saxophonist Eric DeFade is the son of Ray DeFade, who played sax for Ludwig in the early '60s. He is a young follower of the organ-tenor sax stars who are no longer on the scene and provides the appropriate sermon when called upon. ~Michael p. Gladstone

Gene Ludwig,Hammond B-3 Organ; Ken Karsh,guitar; Tom Wendt,drums; Eric DeFade,sax

Hands On

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Gene Ludwig - Soul Serenade

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:32
Size: 138.6 MB
Styles: Organ jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[8:51] 1. Duff's Blues
[7:37] 2. Freddie Freeloader
[8:16] 3. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[9:01] 4. Soul Serenade
[6:23] 5. Rejoicin'
[7:49] 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
[6:08] 7. On A Misty Night
[6:23] 8. My Shining Hour

Gene Ludwig comes from the romantic school of Hammond B3 organ players and, with more than 40 years at the job, he is part of the organ tradition. His playing is relaxed, laid-back, drenched with a mix of blues and soul. He understands that the organ quartet can be one of the most pleasurable listening experiences in jazz. With an extremely large range of tone colors and timbres, the organ quartet can musically express the full range of human emotions, from romantic and sultry, to highly charged beat excitement, to soul-drenched melancholy. This potential is fully realized by Ludwig and his quartet on the appropriately titled Soul Serenade. With J. Willis and Don Aliquo Jr. sharing tenor sax duties, Ken Karsh kicking with well-placed guitar licks, and Tom Wendt on drums, this album falls foursquare into the organ combo arena led by more well-known -- but not more able -- B3 artists Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, and Jimmy Smith. The play list was obviously constructed to bring out the best this group can offer. On "You Don't Know What Love Is," buttressed by the heartrending tenor sax of Aliquo, the quartet pulls out every ounce of feeling from this tune. In contrast, matters get moving at a swinging pace on "Freddie the Freeloader." Karsh's guitar gets full opportunity to explore the extemporizing possibilities of this Miles Davis classic. The title tune "Soul Serenade" is the organ counterpart of Gloria Lynne's ardent vocal version of 1965, making it a highlight of the album. Willis' slightly honking sax gives this cut an authentic R&B flavor. Tadd Dameron's "On a Misty Night" is the vehicle for Aliquo to brandish his dexterity at running through chord changes. "Duff's Blues" is pure swing, with Tom Wendt's drums getting plenty of attention. Some of the younger Hammond B3 organ practitioners on today's scene would do well to listen to this album to hear how the instrument can sound with its edges rounded a bit. Highly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan

Live Recording Recorded at Stargate Studios, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 7, June 10 & July 2, 1999.

Gene Ludwig (Hammond B-3 organ); J. Willis, Don Aliquo, Jr. (tenor saxophone); Ken Karsh (guitar); Tom Wendt (drums).

Soul Serenade

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