Top 20 jazz organ SONGS of all time

[Soul Stream]

O.K the organ lists go on. And here's my top 20 Jazz Organ songs of all time...

1. Groove Holmes "Misty"

2. Charles Earland "More Today Than Yesterday"

3. Jimmy Smith "Back At The Chicken Shack"

4. Leon Spencer Jr. "Someday My Prince Will Come"

5. Larry Young "Talkin' Bout J.C."

6. Trudy Pitts "Take 5"

7. Lou Donaldson w/John Patton "Funky Mama"

8. George Braith w/Billy Gardner "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

9. Jack McDuff "Rock Candy"

10. Freddie Roach "Brown Sugar"

11. Baby Face Willette "Swinging At Sugar Ray's"

12. Don Patterson "S'bout Time"

13. Lou Donaldson w/Lonnie Smith "Alligator Bogaloo"

14. Lonnie Smith "Move Your Hand"

15. Johnny Hammond Smith "I Remember Clifford"

16. Grant Green w/Jack McDuff "Grantstand"

17. Jimmy McGriff "The Worm"

18. John Patton "The Yodel"

19. Grant Green w/Baby Face Willette "Miss Ann's Tempo"

20. Jimmy McGriff "All About My Girl"

[GA Russell]

No way I could list twenty! My two favorite organ dates are Groove Holmes' first two albums for Prestige: Soul Message and Living Soul.

A number of great tracks to choose from there, including Dahoud, Groove's Groove, Gemini and Living Soul.

On the other hand, Misty is on there, and I wouldn't choose it. To each his own!

[mikeweil]

No Don Patterson?!? I'm disappointed!

[Soul Stream]

No Don Patterson?!? I'm disappointed!

Don Patterson "S'bout Time" is on the list.... (you think i'm crazy!?)

Since posting the list I have noticed Jimmy Smith's only on once! And McGriff, Baby Face, Patton and Lonnie Smith are on twice (but for damn good reason), So something might have to be taken off for one of JOS's. Jimmy was the master player, but as far as SONGS go aside from some standout blues like "The Sermon", ect. Of course that means you have to narrow that down to one...Hmmm... I guess "Blues for J" would rank up there as would "O.G.D" or about a billion more...so I get a little stumped with Jimmy.

Honestly...a top 50 might even be hard.

Edited January 5, 2005 by Soul Stream

[WD45]

What? No "Happy Organ" by Dave "Baby" Cortez?

[WD45]

Really, tho, glad to see "The Yodel" get its props here.

[Jim Alfredson]

Soul Stream, the ultimate Don Patterson track is his take of "The Good Life" from The Exciting New Organ of Don Patterson. No one has done that song better.

[Chuck Nessa]

No mention of any Fats Waller tracks yet - or is this a '50s/'60s thread? B-)

[Soul Stream]

Soul Stream, the ultimate Don Patterson track is his take of "The Good Life" from The Exciting New Organ of Don Patterson. No one has done that song better.

Well, that's true. But it seems like if you have to pick one song to represent Don Patterson, it damn sure better be uptempo bop!!!!

[Soul Stream]

No mention of any Fats Waller tracks yet - or is this a '50s/'60s thread? B-)

Well,,,er...ummm...guess I left out Wild Bill Davis too, now that you mention it....and um, Milt Buckner...and...um....oh, yeah did I mention this was a 50's-60's ONLY thread.

[DrJ]

Many great ones listed so far...I'd add these to the "all time great" list just off the top of my head:

Larry Young - "Monk's Dream" (really, the whole damn UNITY album should be included, although I singled this one track out because he's so front and center and so thoroughly conquers this tune...)

Big John Patton - "Soul Woman"

Eddy Louiss - "Nardis"

Ed Swanston (w/Ike Quebec) - "A Light Reprieve"

Shirley Scott (w/Hawkins, Cobb, Lockjaw, and Tate) - "Lester Leaps In"

Mel Rhyne - "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"

Don Patterson - "Jesse Jackson"

Edited January 5, 2005 by DrJ

[Shawn]

Rusty Bryant - Fire Eater

That one jumps to mind right away, will have to think of more once I've had coffee...

[Jim Alfredson]

No mention of any Fats Waller tracks yet - or is this a '50s/'60s thread? B-)

Well,,,er...ummm...guess I left out Wild Bill Davis too, now that you mention it....and um, Milt Buckner...and...um....oh, yeah did I mention this was a 50's-60's ONLY thread.

I would argue that until Jimmy Smith, the organ was basically a novelty. Sure, Fats and Wild Bill and Bill Doggett and Jackie Davis did some nice stuff, but it was kind of schmaltzy and for someone who has no exposure to the genre of "organ jazz", not very important. Jimmy Smith covered all that and then some.

[Jim Alfredson]

I would change George Braith's selection to "Boop Bop Bing Bash" or "Braith-a-way". But that's just me.

Concerning Don Patterson, I just could not leave "The Good Life" off the list. If we had to go with an uptempo number, it would be "Little Shannon" for me.

[Soul Stream]

I would change George Braith's selection to "Boop Bop Bing Bash" or "Braith-a-way". But that's just me.

You're right. Boop Bop Bing Bash is DEFINATELY it! I don't know what I was thinking (although Mary Had A Little Lamb is killer, it's almost more Grant's song than anybody's)! Braith-A-Way is also neck and neck, and I really dig Billy's solo on that one. That tune sure ain't no run of the mill blues structure.

As far as Patterson goes, he did so many GREAT tunes, I think everybody would have a different take. However, since his "The Exciting Organ Of" seems to be the LP, I thought something off that might have to be it, but...you really DO like the Good Life of that. (I actually prefer his second version of "The Good Life" on Muse B-) ).