Customer Reviews

Snapshot

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Every once in a while a great live Jazz CD comes around that stands out and just grabs your attention. This is one of them. I have compiled quite a collection of jazz organ CD's over the last few years, and "Snapshot" is definitely a keeper. Mr. Defrancesco is arguably credited by many as reviving the Hammond B3 and jazz organ music in the mid-90's with albums like "Live at the Five Spot" and "Incredible".

Part of the reason this album is so good maybe because he has regrouped with his original trio, Byron "Wookie" Landham (drums) and Paul Bollenback (guitar). Aside from Joey, maybe that's what makes this album so special?

It's absolutely amazing how these three play so intuitively and instinctively together (in the pocket). I can't find any one of the tracks a throw-away for this album. Joey and company seem to move seamlessly from mainstream jazz, to funk, to blues, and back to mainstream with no effort at all. No one overplays their solos and all seem to be able to step out of the way and let each other have a turn to shine throughout the album. They create a rare synergistic effect often only captured in a live setting like this, but with great sound quality.

Recorded live in Scottsdale Arizona at the Kerr Cultural Center on 03-05-09, notable tracks are "You Don't Know Me" and "Fly Me to The Moon". I've heard dozens of different, tired, re-tread takes on "Fly Me" but this one is really special. Mr. Defrancesco's souful approach to "You Don't Know Me" is definitely in the spirit of the late Ray Charles.

Bravo, Joey D., you've definitely hit a home run this time.

I'll admit that I'm prejudiced against jazz organ players; dynamics aren't terribly easy to change on electric organs (certainly not like on acoustic instruments) so organ jazz tends to sound sort of dry to me. Probably the one consistent exception in my mind is Joey DeFrancesco who, besides being a master of the instrument, also knows how to put a band together and work of his fellow musicians. Such is the case here, with a band whose apparently been playing together for 15 years. It has a fun range of sound, from a sort of funk inspired version of "Eighty One", to the slow blues of "You don't know me" to a smoldering "Whichole". Each song individually has a nice dynamic arc (even songs that start off sounding like ballads start to burn somewhere in the middle) and the band really knows how to play off each other. All in All, a lot of fun that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good Hammond B3 player and even to those who don't.

I saw these three musicians perform this set a couple months ago. The performance was great, but this recording from six months prior is even better. The musicians are extremely tight and "in the pocket." The quality of the recording is high. On the evening of this recording, the band was performing at its peak. Thankfully, the audience seems unaware that the show is being recorded.