Search - Jimmy McGriff :: Giants of Organ Together

I raised it a star after turning the balance knob all the wa

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 06/29/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"[Afterthoughts: Apparently this one was a best-seller and is still admired by B3 junkies (yes, I know those aren't B3's on the cover of the album, which is more evidence of the carelessness mentioned below), so I'll move it up to 3 stars, even though the disc can be rough going for anyone who finds the B3 behemoth capable of overextending its welcome. Groove is on your left in the album photo, but if anyone knows for sure who's who of the two giants on the recording itself, please identify them. The player coming out of the left channel favors '70s gadgetry and effects just as the guitarist from out of that channel is primarily a jam-band loud blues player. (That can't be Freeman?)]



Maybe the tip-off is the inability of the producers of this album, released at a time when spell-checks are omnipresent, to spell the word "Squirrel" correctly. Managing two B3's on the same stage requires some careful attention to detail--from solo order to channel separation to limiting the solo time of the two guitarists. There's lots of smoke, sound and fury during this session but far too little clarity to make it enjoyable to someone who wasn't there to experience it first-hand. To the question, "Does two symphony orchestras playing simultaneously double the pleasure?" this session offers an answer that isn't encouraging.



It can be fascinating to discover the strengths of various players and to delineate the different voices on the B3--from Jimmies S. and M. to Groove to Big John to the Mighty Burner to Don Patterson, Brother Jack, Larry Young and Joey D. And listeners will acquire some sense of the differences between Holmes and McGriff even if they don't know who is who. Unfortunately, the album producers neglected to provide a scorecard identifying the players. The player in the left speaker pushes the tempos and favors a heavier sound (with reverb, wah wah, pitch bends and effects!); the one on the right prefers to stay in the pocket and to hold something in reserve. Both players supply excellent bass lines; both frequently resort to familiar B3 cliches with their right-hand melodic work. One of the guitarists (from that annoying left channel) indulges in grating distortion and numbing, noxious repetition.



The first 2/3 of the program is often taken at frenetic, blinding speed, leaving the impression that the drummer is desperately trying to catch up, esp. on "Finger Licking Good," which unfortunately is the least tasteful track on the session. The last third is taken at medium tempo, sounding stiff, uninventive, and anticlimactic. Two of the songs are terminated by fade-outs engineered after the fact. If only those in charge had exercised as much thought on the front end."

One of the albums that got me into the B-3 ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 11/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before I was officially into the Jazz organ, I found a tape version of this album in the 99 cent rack at a store called CLOVER near my house in NE Philly... upon listening to it, it really blew me away.

It was Jazz... it was swinging, yet at the same time REALLY groovy and funky.

Of note, Groove and Griff aren't playing B-3s, but a new Hammond organ that was out at the time... I believe called the X-77 (please correct me.) The sound is quite funky, similar to a B-3... had tone wheels, but solid state.



Though the viewer below is correct in his observations of various shortcomings of the album there is one thing I feel that's worth pointing out: The album captures two of the greats (sadly both now gone) going at it with a live feel, cooking and trading licks... For this reason, I feel that this over-rides all objects... including the fact that I have to admit myself... when I first started listening to Groove Holmes, even I thought his playing sounded a bit cheesy at first... (Although he was an incredibly funky player, he often ran the organ through regular keyboard amps, used special mods, even put moogs on top of it... If you're more used to the old RVG sound, this can take a bit of getting used to... so in order to come to appreciate Groove, I had to first experience the grittier Charles Earland sound... then as I got into the organ, I was able to better get past the surface stuff in some of Groove's productions and realized how ridiculously funky, soulful, groovy, cookin' and swinging a mofo' he was... and here's the proof...



In conclusion, if you're a fan of "cooker" style bebop jazz, and don't mind it played "greasy"... gosh will you love this one..."