Search - Rhoda Scott :: Alone

The sound is willing but the instrument...

05/30/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"American expatriate jazz organist Rhoda Scott's most recent album is something that very few jazz organists would dare to do--a solo album in the true sense of the word--no other instruments but either Scott's Hammond B-3 or XB-3, a digital replicate of the B-3 made by the Japanese company that owns the Hammond patents and trademarks. The music itself is enjoyable in the tradition of Scott's mainstream style--a series of well-written originals that showcase Scott's knack for blending jazz, gospel and the classics and her talents of arranging for the Hammond that make her sound unlike most other jazz organists. There's also a funky romp through Don Gibson's country classic "Oh, Lonesome Me." Despite Scott's pleasing work, there is something askew in the engineering--both organs sound dampened and they just don't seem to sound like they should be (or Scott recorded every cut on the XB-3, which is only a reasonable facsimile of the B-3 sound--the packaging doesn't reveal which song was played on which organ). A shame, because otherwise this album would've received a higher rating from me. Anyway, if you're a fan of jazz organ, this is worth a shot--particularly as proof that you can play an organ like an organ and still swing (but Scott proves that almost every time)."

One of the best albums of Hammond organ

05/09/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is not for those who are looking for chops. It's just beautiful music, which I never tired to listen to."