Results for "Mitch Towne"

Branford Marsalis, Thomas Marriott, Mitch Towne, Lorraine Feather and more

by Benjamin Boddie
April 10, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Branford Marsalis, Altin Sencalar, Reginald Cyntie, Marianne Solivan, Thomas Marriott, Mitch Towne, Paul Hecht, Lorraine Feather, Eric Alexander, Geoffrey Dean, Jackson Potter, Willie Morris, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Jerry Gimble, Allan Chaubert, Billy Hart, Russ Spiegel, Elaine Dame, MTB, Posi-Tone Swingtet, The Empress, Nnenna Freelon, Rachel Therrien, Yellowjackets, and more.

Dr. Lonnie Smith, Frank Sinatra & Chris Hazelton

by Joe Dimino
September 3, 2023

From the king of the Kansas City Hammond-B3 jazz organ, we begin the 818th Episode of Neon Jazz with Chris Hazelton and music from his 2023 album After Dark. From there, we lead into his mentor in the legendary Dr. Lonnie Smith with a cut off his 1969 LP Turning Point. There's also new music from ...

Mitch Towne

Born: September 17

Ever since Jimmy Smith emerged on the national scene in 1956, performing exciting versions of blues, ballads and standards, the Hammond B-3 organ has been a major instrument in jazz. Scores of organists have emerged since then who play variations of the Jimmy Smith style.

Mitch Towne, while acknowledging his historic predecessors, sees the organ as much more than just being a soulful instrument used to play grease-filled blues. “I feel that the organ is somewhat marginalized in jazz and that there is so much more to the organ than being thought of as a bluesy r&b soul/jazz type of instrument. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to perform mostly originals on my new recording, Refuge. This record is in the jazz tradition rather than just the jazz organ tradition because, in addition to the great organ players, I’m also inspired by Kenny Garrett, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock.” On Refuge, his recording debut as a leader, Mitch Towne teams up with his regularly working trio (guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama and drummer Jeffery Johnson) to perform six of his wide-ranging originals plus a Kenny Kirkland piece. Refuge introduces Towne’s creative talents to a wide audience and displays the great potential of the organ.