ORGANISSIMO - ALIVE & KICKIN' – Big O Records.
Alive & Kickin' is a live set recorded in 2009. Hammond lovers will find plenty to satisfy the need. The nine-track CD is full of the monster organ, with room left for Gloss and Marsh to thrive.
The strength of this jam trio is in the seeming balance of power. There is space to breathe and expand a solo or play off someone's riff without over-powering each other. That is a finely developed skill set that some bands never quite achieve. Here, it is evident that unity comes in the form of democracy.
Standout tracks include "If Not Now, When?". It moves easily in and out of their space for a meditative journey. Ideally, when a song is titled "Jimmy Smith Goes to Washington", you expect good organ work – Alfredson delivers. Mr. Smith would approve. The highlight is a cover of Frank Zappa's "Blessed Relief". Not surprisingly, it is a rich, complex trip into other worlds, which seems to be a theme for Organissimo. Gloss transcends the idea of solo and just glides over the groove.
This album was recorded on separate occasions in different venues. The trio does not fail to keep each audience pumped and hungry for more.
~ Layla Macoran, Jazz Inside Magazine, May 2010