Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Charles Earland: Jazz Organ Summit

Charles Earland: Jazz Organ Summit

By Joel Roberts
April 1, 1998
View read count

One night last spring in Chicago, four masters of the Hammond B-3 organ - Charles Earland, Lonnie Smith, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, and Jimmy McGriff - got together for a one-time-only showcase. The results are captured here on a must-buy album for jazz organ fans.

Each performer is featured in a brief solo segment, before all four join together for a funky, jam-session finale. Earland lives up to his nickname ("The Burner") with a sizzling version of the pop hit "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday." McGriff, the king of the organ blues, gets the crowd screaming with a pair of soul / blues improvisations. Dr. Lonnie Smith, usually a funk / groove player, offers an extended take on the standard "Cherokee."

It is Johnny "Hammond" Smith, though, who delivers the evening's most poignant performance. Seriously ill with cancer, he made a special trip from his home in California to take part in this concert, which would turn out to be his last. He died just 11 days later. Listen closely to his emotional reading of the ballads "This Masquerade is Over" and "Summertime" for an example of dignity and artistry in jazz.

Personnel

Charles Earland

organ, Hammond B3

Album information

Title: Jazz Organ Summit | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: Cannonball Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

A Go Go
< Previous

In Hamburg
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.