| The global jazz community has credited Joey
DeFrancesco and his recordings from the late 1980s and early
1990s as the singular sensation for rekindling a love for
the Hammond B-3 organ. But the wunderkind turned legend didn’t
simply catch his break when he performed with Miles Davis
as a teenager; the organist has patterned his career after
the trumpeter’s example of constantly pushing the creative
envelope and bringing together new and disparate cohorts.
When DeFrancesco released his Columbia debut, All Of Me,
at the tender age of 17, the Hammond Organ Company hadn’t
produced a new B-3 for 14 years. The synthesizer had effectively
taken over the music upon which Joey had built his dreams
and developed his passion. But that release and Joey’s
undeniable style almost single-handedly rekindled the listening
public’s interest in the classic ‘60s organ trio. “The
success of my early recordings seemed to trigger a great
response from those who loved the music of Jimmy Smith and
McDuff, as well as from new jazz fans. Suddenly, the organ
was popular again,” he says. “It has always been
a soulful instrument, and R&B and the funky blues sounded
so good on it. The combination of the two was so appealing
that the sound John Patton and Jimmy McGriff created in the ‘60s
became the standard sound in modern jazz. I was just playing
the music I loved, finding new ways to approach it, and never
worried about the hype. My success was a result of being
comfortable with what I was doing, and excited to be doing
it.”
It is more magical to believe the myth that DeFrancesco’s
exposure in Miles Davis’ band—which included
extensive touring and appearances on the famed Amandla and
Live Around the World recordings—led to his deal with
Columbia. In truth, A&R legend Dr. George Butler had
shown interest in the organist long before. The Philly native
was a true prodigy, advancing so quickly on his own that
he was bored with formal studies. “Once my father saw
I was interested, he got involved,” he says. “He
approached it in such a way that if he was pushin’,
I didn’t notice it because I loved the instrument so
much.”
DeFrancesco was landing professional dates by age ten.
At 16, he was the first recipient of the Philadelphia Jazz
Society's McCoy Tyner Scholarship and a finalist in the Thelonious
Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Then came Davis,
the first of many legendary associations on a resume that
would someday include John McLaughlin, Jimmy Bruno, Houston
Person, Kenny Garrett, and finally, on his second Concord
recording Incredible! (1999), a pairing with Jimmy Smith.
“I’m glad that my records have made people excited
about the organ, and the best part of all this has been playing
with so many great artists, being on the road and sharing
the love for what I do with audiences who really get it,” he
says. “I love bringing people in and making them happy.
I think I’ve been able to keep a level head about everything
because I’m always focused on the music first, and
on the many ideas I have for every subsequent project. Sometimes,
I’m just amazed by all this, and there are always great
moments which remind me why I enjoy it so much.”
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