Home » Jazz Articles » Joey DeFrancesco
Jazz Articles about Joey DeFrancesco
About Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas
by AAJ Staff
(Whistling Speak Softly Love")
Recognize that tune? Of course you do! It’s the theme from The Godf-
Okay- so maybe this type of intro doesn’t work so well in print. But one thing which does work is this album!
No plaintive strings or weeping accordion. No way. This is jazz. Jazz that swings like DiMaggio and pops like a Tommy gun.
Capisce?
Combining the formidable Hammond chops (did someone say "chops"?) of Mr. DeFrancesco with the scatty strums of Frank ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Ballads And Blues
by Jim Santella
Joey DeFrancesco’s organ trio has been together for twelve years already. And what a solid unit they’ve become. Byron Landham and Paul Bollenback make soulful music when they’re working alongside DeFrancesco and his timeless repertoire. This time out, he’s included several familiar classics, a few originals, and some in-betweens. Guests Pat Martino, Gary Bartz, Papa John and brother John DeFrancesco turn cameo appearances into gala celebrations. It’s a winning formula.
”Home on the Range” begins in a solemn, ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Singin' And Swingin'
by Jim Santella
Just look at that song list! These are standards that cook every time out. Organist Joey DeFrancesco takes the bull by the horns and performs themhisway. Hammond B-3 melodies control the session and provide great listening. With his trio, DeFrancesco wows any crowd, any place, any time. His boundless energy and the natural manner with which he builds each solo portion tend to color his work favorably all the time. However, it's not one of DeFrancesco's better performances. This time ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco / Tony Monaco Trio: Singin' and Swingin' / Burning Grooves
by C. Michael Bailey
The Hammond B-3 Organ— New and Newer.
The temptation not to couple these two discs in a single review perished when reviewing the musician's credits. Both of these Hammond B-3 releases have one big thing in common: Joey DeFrancesco and his regular rhythm. But, Mr. DeFrancesco does not lead both of these releases. Complicated? No, not really.
DeFrancesco, who burst onto the scene as a precocious teen in 1988, recorded several notable records with Columbia, High Note and Big Mo'. ...
Continue ReadingJoey De Francesco: Goodfellas
by Matthew S. Robinson
(Whistling Speak Softly Love") Recognize that tune? Of course you do! It’s the theme from The Godfather" Okay- so maybe this type of intro doesn’t work so well in print. But one thing which does work is this album! No plaintive strings or weeping accordion. No way. This is Jazz. Jazz that swings like DiMaggio and pops like a Tommy gun. Capiche?
Combining the formidable Hammond chops (did someone say chops"?) of Mr. DeFrancesco with the scatty strums of Frank ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco/Papa John DeFrancesco: The Champ Round 2/Hip Cake Walk
by C. Andrew Hovan
From the beginning, it's been clear that Joey DeFrancesco is an obvious heir to the throne when it comes to extending the influence of innovator Jimmy Smith. Influenced by his father (quite a talented organ grinder in his own right) at a very young age, the younger DeFrancesco has developed an incendiary style that owes much to the influence of Jimmy Smith but which also has blossomed on its own. Though largely a Concord recording artist these days, it seems ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Incredible!
by Jim Santella
He’s not yet 30, but Joey DeFrancesco earned his veteran stripes a long time ago. His B-3 performance on this latest Incredible! album ranges from hot and heavy to cool and lyrical. The organist drives Dizzy Gillespie’s The Champ" and Charlie Parker’s favored Indiana" into the streets with exciting solos from his working band: Paul Bollenback and Byron Landham. Bebop from a leader who learned it from his father in Philadelphia. DeFrancesco’s ballads remind me of Erroll Garner with his ...
Continue Reading

