A Word of Welcome
Hammond organ playing has experienced a type of revival, but for some of us, it's always been "the sound" of American Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Soul. This site is here to provide a clearinghouse for any and all relevant information for the new or experienced afficianado.
About Me
Thanks for stopping by. I have been playing for over 30 years (no, I'm not "old," I just started early!), and have Music degrees (performance and theory). This site, though, isn't about me. It's about the Hammond Organ, Soul Jazz, and the artists who bring it all together.
Where to Start?
(May 2011) I'm starting to upload some of my notes on organ repair, starting with brief tutorial on pedal springs. Note that this isn't intended to be authoritative, but hopefully some of the tricks will be useful in a pinch.
(Jan 2010) The reviews section is up and running. We'll review just about anything (musical instruments, recordings, instructional manuals), send an email to us via the 'contact' section
(April 2010) Right now the entire "Theory" section is being relegated to the "back alley" of this website. There's just too much of it, and while I think it's useful (we get probably 200 visits a day from people looking for theory help) it's not really what this site is for. Hopefully the redesign will be live this summer.
This site is always under construction. A lot of the material here has been used in "prior lifetimes" for other purposes, and I'm in the process of converting it to online format. I don't expect a lot of visitors, but if you do stop by and would like to say "hello," please pop me an email!
The artist pictured here is Richard "Groove" Holmes, my personal favorite in the pantheon of Hammond players. They didn't call him "Groove" for nothing, the man really has a soulful "feel" that is, in my opinion, unmatched! Jimmy Smith is of course the founder and father of the genre, but Groove had his own special flavor and style that I personally enjoy. I'd start out with "Comin on Home" or even the "Six Million Dollar Man," if you can find these albums.