Hart, Scone & Albin: Leading The British Invasion

The Hammond organ trio called Hart, Scone & Albin open up Leading the British Invasion by biting into "Rehab," from the songbook of the late British vocalist, Amy Winehouse. The tune—already dripping soul in its original edition—drips some, with the trio's muscular and propulsive approach.

The British Invasion the trio addresses throughout the set isn't the one that began in the early 60s, with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Dave Clark Five; it's the ladies of today who get a showcase here: Amy Winehouse, Sade, Joss Stone, Adele, Lorde, and Dusty Springfield (who actually arrived during the initial Invasion, charting hits alongside the guys).

Guitarist John Hart and drummer and drummer Rudy Albin earned their organ trio stripes in the band of the legendary organist Jack McDuff. They take from their mentor a big, full sound, infectious R & B rhythms, danceable grooves, all washed down with the arctic wind of Adam Scone's full-throated Hammond B3 organ.

Amy Winehouse is represented well here. Besides the opener, "Rehab," the group goes after "Back to Black," the title tune from her debut album, and the durable standard, "Body and Soul," taking off from her collaboration with Tony Bennett. Adele gets a couple of soulful nods, with "Turning Tables" and "Rolling in the Deep." And Dusty Springfield's perhaps un-soulful—but beautiful—take on the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic, "The Look of Love," levitates in the hands of Hart, Scone & Albin. And "Royals," from Lorde's songbook, shows up sounding like psychedelia.

Organ jazz, in the right hands, never gets old. It's in the right hands with Hart, Scone & Albin.

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