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New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ

Darren Heinrich

Label: Dazzjazz
Released: 2009
Views: 1,698

Tracks

Lunar; Hicksville; Meanderthal; Willow; The Poledancer; I Don't Know; Slinky; Easy Autumn; Hello, Goodbye; Three Shades Of Green; Meanderthal (old school version); Willow (new school version).

Personnel

Album Description

This album was given an Unsigned Artist of the Month Award from US-based Keyboard Magazine. New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ is perhaps a first for Australian Jazz - an album of entirely original material performed by an organ trio. The 10 tracks (and 2 bonus tracks), composed by Darren, run the gamut of the jazz spectrum in style. Swing, Funk, Boogaloo, Ballads & Blues all get a workout here, and while Darren's influences may be evident to Hammondfans, the music is undeniably original and fresh. Produced by legendary US organist Tony Monaco during a visit to Australia, the album was recorded over two days by engineer Richard Belkener.

Liner notes written by New York organist Pat Bianchi. v For any Jazz fan who keeps up with current releases and trends in today’s music, it is apparent that the jazz organ genre is alive and well. In fact, since it’s resurgence in the early 90’s, jazz organ and the Soul Jazz movement are gaining new momentum, with the Hammond B3 at the forefront of this movement. With the help of jazz organist and producer Tony Monaco, Darren Heinrich makes his second contribution to the jazz organ... discography with “New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ”. It is clear that, while acknowledging his roots and influences (which include Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Larry Goldings), Darren is emerging with his own unique voice on the Hammond Organ. This recording not only showcases his abilities at the Hammond, but also highlights his strong compositional voice. I am sure upon hearing his latest release, the listener will agree that Darren is sure to make his mark on the scene today.

Darren uses two first class rhythm sections on this recording. This artistic decision helps to establish a variety of concepts and approaches throughout CD. Guitarist Steve Brien and drummer Andrew Dickenson are both faculty at the esteemed Sydney Conservatorium of Music and are “first call” musicians on the Sydney music scene. The second configuration of this trio consists of guitarist of Simon Relf and drummer Tim Firth. Both Simon and Tim have an extensive performance background and are highly sought after in the Sydney Music Scene.

The opening track is a catchy blues entitled Lunar. Darren voices and phrases the melody with guitarist Steve Brien in such a manner that immediately evokes the great combination of Larry Young and Grant Green. With solid bass lines, a balance of sustained and short attack accompaniment during Steve’s solo and a simmering solo of his own peaking nicely at the end, Darren demonstrates that he has a strong command of Larry Young’s approach to the organ.

Hicksville starts with a syncopated introduction that leads to a very mysterious and swinging melody. The triplet rhythm is the focus of this song, with its effective use in the melody and the organ solo. Simon & Tim give Darren a solid foundation to explore twists and turns of his composition. Darren’s solid accompanying skills take over when Simon takes his turn navigating thru the intervallic chord sequence. As the trio revisits the intro as an ending, Tim lets loose and shows us what he is capable of! His solo is an excellent example of tension and release, leading the group into an improvised ending.

Meanderthal, a funky hip-hop styled tune, has many elements reminiscent of Dr. Lonnie Smith and the catchy grooves he has brought to the vocabulary of Jazz Organ.

During the intro to Willow, guitarist Steve Brien sets up a strong rhythmic motif, very similar to the one found in Lee Morgan’s great tune The Sidewinder. This flows nicely into the theme, built from catchy motives that lead to a very melodic line at the end of the form. Drummer Andrew Dickenson is rock solid, allowing each soloist to craft their improvisations with ease. Listen for Darren’s swift drawbar change as he takes a second solo that takes the listener even deeper into the mood of the song.

The Poledancer is sure to be a radio hit! This catchy boogaloo will make you want to get out of your chair and dance. Both Steve and Darren shine as soloists on this cut, cleverly combining bebop and funky blues lines that showcase their endless flow of musical ideas. The trio changes things up a bit with a beautiful original ballad, I Don’t Know. One should take note of Steve’s tender interpretation of the melody. It is in this song where Darren’s ability to create lyrical improvisations that weave through chord changes really shines. This, combined with not only his phrasing but use of the Leslie speaker really highlights his maturity as an organist.

Darren’s funky intro leads the way for the trio through Slinky at a steady and relaxed rhythmic pace. Darren proves to be an essential part of the groove throughout the tune. Both Darren and Simon perform solos that complement each other and flow very naturally through the entire song. Easy Autumn is yet another composition that shines on this recording. His cleverly crafted melody is reminiscent of compositions of early Blue Note era Larry Young, both having memorable melodies with complex chord changes that may catch you off guard. Easy Autumn swings hard throughout.

Hello, Goodbye is a beautiful atmospheric ballad. Using a more “hollow” type setting on the organ, Darren’s performance is most haunting. Tim’s effective mallet work and Simon’s guitar tone magnify the poignant feeling of this beautiful composition. One of my favorite tracks on this CD is Three Shades Of Green - the lyrical melody quickly got my attention. Darren effectively combines his melody with chord changes that will challenge any musician. As with many of the previous tracks, Darren shows us how his compositional sense easily translates into his improvisation with strong melodies throughout his solo. Simon’s performs another well constructed solo and Tim again provides not only a solid foundation for the soloists but interacts with great musical conversation from beginning to end. Included here are two bonus tracks for us to enjoy. Alternate versions of Meanderthal and Willow use different rhythm sections to the “master takes”. Each track demonstrates the versatility of the compositions - the tunes work so well in a variety of contexts.

It is apparent that Darren has put a great deal of work into refining his craft. Throughout his career, Darren has had many great achievements including a 1st class BMus. Honours Degree from The Sydney Conservatorium; the Jacek Chrostowski Encouragement Award for Jazz Piano and 2nd place in The Young Composers Award from Australian Broadcasting Commission. His performance credits include working with greats such as Bobby Shew, Jon Gordon, Dale Barlow among many others.

With his first release, “The Jimmy Smith/Larry Young Project LIVE” and a sure success with this latest effort, Darren is well on his way to increasing his standing in the International Jazz Organ Scene. His strong compositional talents and solid organ playing will open many doors for his growing musical career. I look forward to watching Darren rise in the ranks of Jazz Organ.