CJ Shearn Posted September 12, 2008 Report Posted September 12, 2008 since this thread went dead in the Hammond organ forum, I picked this up yesterday. Pretty good disc, trio with Jerry Weldon and Byron Landham. I guess this is the first record where Joey plays the Diversi, and I gotta say it sounds very close if not exact from Joey's B-3 all the details like percussion and Leslie break, etc. I guess this functions as a Diversi demo record as such as the liners rather stupidly make a big deal about it and act as if the timbres Joey's using are different than usual. The real surprise is "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" which escapes cheesiness with a hip modal vamp. I don't think this album is as strong as "The Official Bootleg" or "Organic Vibes", but Joey's playing is superb and continues to move away from JOS cliches and such. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted September 12, 2008 Report Posted September 12, 2008 Joey is part owner of Diversi. From what I've read, they sound good. However, have you heard the new organissimo? I bet you can't tell it's not a real B3 and that's the Hammond Xk3, not even the new XK3c. Quote
CJ Shearn Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Posted September 13, 2008 I'll be sure to order "Groovadelphia" soon! Quote
sheldonm Posted September 16, 2008 Report Posted September 16, 2008 Joey played it the last time he was in Indy...a few months ago. I think the other owner of the company was in attendance. While I thought it sounded very good....I thought the show was very uninspired Quote
Soul Stream Posted September 16, 2008 Report Posted September 16, 2008 Remeber "Live At The 5 Spot" where he's playing a horrible B3 clone and McDuff's on the real B3. Later he went on to record on the new Hammond XK system with Tony Monaco (that actually sounded pretty close, but who cares about close?) and now the Diversi thing. It reminds me of the albums McGriff did on a clone in the 90's and it really ruined those albums for me. I'm not sure I want to hear an "B3 album" that seems like a thinly veiled marketing gimmick for the newly endorsed clone. Is selling clones that important to him? Groove Holmes on the new X-77 "Live At The Lighthouse." Quote
Dan G Posted September 30, 2008 Report Posted September 30, 2008 Remeber "Live At The 5 Spot" where he's playing a horrible B3 clone and McDuff's on the real B3. Later he went on to record on the new Hammond XK system with Tony Monaco (that actually sounded pretty close, but who cares about close?) and now the Diversi thing. It reminds me of the albums McGriff did on a clone in the 90's and it really ruined those albums for me. I'm not sure I want to hear an "B3 album" that seems like a thinly veiled marketing gimmick for the newly endorsed clone. Is selling clones that important to him? Groove Holmes on the new X-77 "Live At The Lighthouse." Would you clarify for me? Does "Live At The Lighthouse" sound good, or not so good in your opinon? I haven't heard the X-77, but I will say that nothing I've ever heard sounds as big and fat and beautiful as a B or C. (I love this forum!) Dan Quote
Dan G Posted September 30, 2008 Report Posted September 30, 2008 Is Joey DeFrancesco "Joey D" of "Joey D and the Starlighters" from the 60s? Quote
randyhersom Posted September 30, 2008 Report Posted September 30, 2008 Nope, he's 31 years younger. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted September 30, 2008 Report Posted September 30, 2008 I think Soulstream's point was that when artists record on a newfangled organ, they usually do so because they are being paid to do so through an endorsement deal or other deal. The results are usually a bit poor, to say the least. The older digital Hammonds like XB-3 from the 1990s did not sound very good, but I think McGriff got one for free with the stipulation that he make records with it. Joey is part-owner of Diversi, so it makes sense that he'd be recording with it now, though he also has a fine collection of vintage B3s to choose from, including the one that Jimmy Smith owned that he used on Organic Grooves. That B3 sounds sweet! In the interest of transparency, I also have an endorsement from Hammond, but I did not have to use the XK System on an album. I used it because I wanted to have the MIDI capabilities at my disposal for the recording and because it honestly sounded better than my B3 for what we were doing. I did test recordings on both organs and the XK System won. Quote
rshurman Posted September 30, 2008 Report Posted September 30, 2008 In the kid '90s I went with organist Tony Z to see Jimmy McGriff at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Jimmy was playing some new portable/digital Hammond supplied for the gig. In a public setting he had only good to say about how uncannily like a real B-3 it sounded. As soon as we got him in a private moment, well, let's just say he had a very different appraisal. I still want to invent an inflatable B-3 and pair of Leslies, though. That would solve just about everything... Quote
CJ Shearn Posted September 30, 2008 Author Report Posted September 30, 2008 I guess cuz McGriff was an endorser he continued to play a XB-3 even tho it sucked? honestly the Diversi sounds world's better than an XB-3, my guess is b/c Joey had them clone his B-3 or maybe even Jimmy's, that he used on Organic Vibes Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted October 1, 2008 Report Posted October 1, 2008 IIRC, the Diversi uses a software emulation / model of the B3 and not sampling technology. The XK System including the XK3, XK3c, and XK1 use sampling. The Diversi does sound nice and yes it's far and away better than the old XB-3. McGriff got the XB-3 for free from Hammond under the stipulation that he record and perform with it for a length of time. It was a very expensive instrument (upwards of $20k, I believe). It sounded bad. The New B3 sounds great but is also just as expensive. rshurman, the inflatable Hammond / Leslie idea is a good one. If they can make roll-up pianos, why not? Last year we did a gig in Ann Arbor and while we were setting up this guy came in and sat down right to the side of my rig. He was obviously a Hammond fan. As I was setting up the XK System he came over and said, "So you're using the digital Hammond now, eh?" Yep. It's great. "The traditionalists aren't going to like that." The traditionalists aren't hauling around a real B3 for me, now are they? I'm really happy with my rig consisting of the XK System, the Leslie 3300, and a sub. I have immense headroom, plenty of bass, and clean power. It sounds really, really good. Quote
Soul Stream Posted October 1, 2008 Report Posted October 1, 2008 Sounds like you've got an awesome system Jim. Plus, I think it'd be cool to have wurly, rhodes sounds available like you do. Technology has certainly made giant leaps in hammond technology recently. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted October 1, 2008 Report Posted October 1, 2008 A real B3 still has that certain "thang", but I do not miss hauling one around on the road one bit, that is for sure. And the flexablility of the XK System is really inspiring. I really dig it! And once you experience the amount of headroom you have with some like the 3300, it's impossible to go back to a standard tube Leslie like the 122. Quote
mr jazz Posted October 13, 2008 Report Posted October 13, 2008 interesting discussion for this B3 fan. Jim, were you playing the above system when you were at Twins in DC? Quote
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