Carrying the torch of the great blues, bop and ballad organ trios of the past, the DBOT plays straight-ahead swinging jazz, that is accessible to fans of Hammond Heroes like Jimmy Smith and Richard “Groove" Holmes. The trio is a deeply integrated unit consisting of Chris Foreman on Hammond B3 Organ, Bobby Broom on guitar, and Greg Rockingham drums. The band has an appealing sound, with Broom's guitar coming out of the Grant Green school (he's played with the likes of Sonny Rollins, and has released a nice Monk tribute on his own.) Foreman's organ and bass pedals keep the music moving on a brisk pace and Rockingham's timekeeping is as solid as concrete. They keep the music swinging nicely between cookers and ballads, and even a nice touch of righteous rockin' gospel, “Jesus Children of America" that works quite well. The open the album in a fashion that really hooks the listener with the fast paced and simmering tracks “Tell Me Something Good" and “If You Really Love Me." The band cuts a fine groove and rides it well, establishing an accessible rapport with the listener. Ballads like the set ending “You Got It Bad Girl" delve deeply into the group's blues and R&B roots, playing with patience and deeply felt emotion, with deft, light drumming and washes of organ occasionally accented by sparks of guitar. While this group is primarily associated with the fertile Chicago jazz scene, they seemed poised to break out to a wider audience. They have a modern enough sound to capture the attention of groove units like Organissimo and Medeski, Martin and Wood or Marco Benevento, while at the same time appealing to fans of traditional organ jazz. Wonderful!—amazon.com
