Customer Reviews

Folk Music

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

C

Today (10/23/07) I was introduced to the Deep Blue Organ Trio via one of my favorite, member-supported jazz radio stations, KSDS-Jazz 88 ([...]), located in San Diego, CA. KSDS played a track (Never Knew Love Life This Before) from the Deep Blue Organ Trio's latest CD titled "Folk Music." I was so impressed with the wonderful, groovy sounds that I "Google-lized" the Internet hoping to arrive @ Deep Blue Organ Trio's Website. Well, I was not disappointed because these three gents have an informative website containing their impressive musical credentials. And this is certainly obvious in the wonderful music they've recorded on this CD.

Chris Foreman, even though being blind at birth, has been playing the piano since he was five years old and began formal training at the young age of seven! As a teenager he was attracted to the organ sounds of Jack McDuff, Groove Holmes, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff. The influence of these "Organ-Grinding-Giants" is certainly evident in the sounds you'll hear from Chris Foreman's Hammond B3 organ on the new "Folk Music" CD.

The other two (2) members of the Deep Blue Organ Trio, Greg Rockingham (drums) and Bobby Broom (guitar) are also "cooking-up" some groovy stuff to blend-in with Chris Foreman's Hammond B3 organ. Greg Rockingham began playing when he was just three years old and debuted as a professional musician at age five in his father's jazz ensemble. He is a member of the famed Interlochen Arts Academy and Northeastern University alumni and has performed or recorded with a wide range of famous names, including the orchestras of Glenn Miller and Guy Lombardo, vocalists Freddie Cole, Patty Page and Jerry Vale and instrumentalists Nat Adderley, Kenny Burrell, Charles Earland and Ellis Marsalis.

Bobby Broom, an internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist, began playing guitar and studying music at age twelve. Bobby attended New York's famous High School of Music and Art and by the time he was sixteen was playing with Sonny Rollins, and Charlie Parker pianists, Al Haig and Walter Bishop, Jr. Mr. Broom holds a B.A. in music and currently teaches at DePaul University. Bobby Broom has played alongside some of the most dominant figures in jazz including Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, Charles Earland, Kenny Garrett and Marcus Miller. (NOTE: Checkout Bobby Broom's latest CD titled "Song and Dance"....especially the tracks "Wichita Lineman" written by Jim Webb and made famous/vocalized by Glenn Campbell and "Where Is The Love" which was made famous by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Bobby Broom is truly in a mellow-groove on all the tracks recorded on this CD.) Whether performing as a member of the Deep Blue Organ Trio or leading his own group; he is definitely a talented jazz guitarist "deserving-wider-

recognition (DWR)!"

In closing, don't be "tripped-up" by the title of this CD - "Folk Music." This CD contains a groovy blend of jazzy-stuff focused around a repertoire of familiar jazz classics, soul, R&B, and popular tunes. Believe me, there is something on this CD for every jazz listener....even those that are new to this music form. I am certainly delighted that I have been introduced to the music being recorded and presented to worldwide jazz fans by the Deep Blue Organ Trio. This Chicago-based jazz trio really cooks and I truly hope they will be performing here in the New England Area in the near future. In the meantime, I have the new Deep Blue Organ Trio's "Folk Music" programmed in a playlist of an Internet-based music service I subscribe to and I've placed an order for several copies of this CD via Amazon.com. I want to give this CD as a gift to a few of my friends so they can experience the awesome jazz performance on Deep Blue Organ Trio's latest CD - "Folk Music." This is definitely a 5 star CD and I thank KSDS-Jazz's knowledgeable DJs for selecting a track to be played on-the-air and to their worldwide Internet-based audience. Now, it's time for me to play "Folk Music" over again for the third-time today. I love this CD and I think you will too!

George Murphy

Southern New Hampshire

Yeah Blues is the Preacher and Jazz is The Teacher. What a wonderfully tight organ trio this is..they are here to make music ,groovy bluesy,loaded with some tenderness and most of all love of this music the create themsleves.. all this is of course very evident.

There is so many great tunes...like the first tune " A Deeper Blue" medium blues groove played with that wonderfully laid back feeling by all three players..or the old standard "The Very Thought of You" taken in a very appealing groove medium swing..wonder if anyone played it like this before?? Or Lee Morgans tune "Ceora" it soon turns out to be a soul party with Chris foremans very groovy B3 playing all this still keeping the tune "in sight"

I can not get enough of Bobby Brooms playing he plays his soulful lines as a long string of notes and I always wonder how is going to end his phrase (s) and he resolves them with a kind of a soulfultwist which is so nice to listen to. I love Chris Foremans McGriff inspired B3 playing.

I missed the Deep Blue Organ Trio whenj I was in Chicago in Nov this year...Bobby was actually here in Sweden playing with Sonny Rollins..but I wont miss this great trio next time I am in Windy City

Anders Jonasson

Jazzguitarist and addicted fan of the DBOT

I first hear DBOT on XM and immediately loved their vamp. Had to have the CD. Finally ordered it and was a little disappointed, hence only 4 stars. Musically the CD is great. The selection of tunes fit the general ambiance of the CD. However, I have to say that the musicianship in some tunes is questionable. I am not an expert but I can tell if someone is not playing in the right key. There are a few instances in which the guitar starts playing in the wrong key.

Another observation is the sound quality of the CD. It seems low in volume compared to other CDs. I have to turn up the volume just to listen to this CD. The guitar which should have a pristine clear tone is actually a little distorted. The bass is too far back in the mix. The lows are also distorted. Overall, the mix is just not good. Is it possible that I got a bad CD? I don't know.

Regardless of the mix, I still have this CD as my main disc and listen to it daily. If you are a straight ahead jazz person, this is one CD you should have.

Highly recommended.

Bobby Broom is an absolute pleasure to listen to. In my book there is

Wes Montgomery,then George Benson, then everybody else. In this case

Bobby falls right in that very small space between Benson and everybody

else. Only a few very special jazz guitarist can fill that space. Bobby

is definitley one of the few. He can cook, swing and groove like no other. His melodic lines are very advanced and cerebral. Bobby Brown

is truly a master of his instrument. If you like jazz guitar at its best

this is the place to go. Also pick up his live dvd on Amazon. You will

be glad you did.

This is straight-ahead jazz at its' best. Stellar tracks include two jazz classics- "This I dig of you" and "Ceora". Bobby Brooms' guitar solos may be an acquired taste but sight-impaired Chris Foreman is a monster on the Hammond B-3. Great trio music that should be part of any serious jazz collection.