April
1, 2005
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Jimmy
Mcgriff, Master of the Hammond B-3 Organ, Will Perform
at Ramapo College of New Jersey
(Mahwah) – Jazz
at the Berrie Center presents “Master of the Organ Jam,” Jimmy
McGriff and His All-stars on Saturday, May
7 at 8 p.m. in the Sharp Theater on the campus
of Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Considered
the all-time giant of the Hammond B-3, organ master Jimmy
McGriff is know as one of the “bluesiest” to
come out of Philadelphia, the capital of the jazz organ world. His
recording of Ray Charles’ “I’ve Got A Woman” was
a top five R&B hit and a jukebox staple of the ‘60s. His
All-stars are drummer Don Williams, a long-time member of McGriff’s
touring band, guitarist Geary Moore and tenor saxophonist Jerry
Weldon, known for his work with the Harry Connick, Jr. Big
Band.
Jimmy
McGriff studied at Juilliard in New York City and at Philadelphia’s Combe College of Music. His music
is steeped in blues and gospel. Blues has been
the backbone of most of the major jazz organists, but throughout
his recording career, McGriff has stuck closer to the blues
than most of them. After a stint in law enforcement,
he turned his focus to the organ and studied at Combe and Juilliard,
as well as privately with Jimmy Smith, “Groove” Holmes,
Milt Buckner and classical organist Sonny Gatewood. In
1962, while performing in Trenton, New Jersey, a scout from
a record label called Jell was struck with the organist’s
arrangement of “I’ve Got a Woman” and offered
him a contract. As McGriff’s single was taking
off, Sue Records in New York purchased the master and it became
a hit, peaking at No. 5 on Billboard’s R&B chart and at No. 20 on the pop list. With
that and such subsequent Sue label singles as “All About
My Girl,” “M.G. Blues,” and “Bump De
Bump,” the organist staked out his own musical turf.
Tickets
for “Master of the Organ Jam” are $21
for adults, $18 for senior citizens and $12 for youth. The
Sharp Theater is located at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center
for Performing and Visual Arts on the Ramapo College campus. For
more information call 201.684.7844.
This program is made possible in part by funds from the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner
Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
