Pianists Playing Organ

[Stevie Mclean]

I was listening to Soul Groove by Johnny Griffin and Matthew Gee and found it quite fascinating to listen to Big John and Hank Jones playing organ on the same record. Of course Patton lays down the grease as always, but it is very interesting to hear Hanks soft touch translated to organ in comparison. I really enjoy his melodic playing and I find it to be a nice change of pace from the likes of Big John and the other soul organ grinders.

There seems to be an old thread on organ players playing piano, but I can seem to find any reference to piano players playing organ. Id love to hear of other examples pianists dippin' their toes in the grease bucket and what y'all think about their playing.

[mikeweil]

Clare Fischer played quite a bit of organ over the years on various sessions, including a solo organ / Rhodes piano LP.

There are just as many organists playing piano, either when there was no organ available, or just for fun - Melvin Rhyne, Jack McDuff.

[EKE BBB]

Definitely....Fats Waller!!!

[mikeweil]

19 hours ago, EKE BBB said:

Definitely....Fats Waller!!!

Of course! Waller and Count Basie.

[Teasing the Korean]

20 hours ago, EKE BBB said:

Definitely....Fats Waller!!!

Some of the most terrifying music ever recorded, even before David Lynch got his hands on it!

[Ken Dryden]

Oscar Peterson played organ on some of the studio sessions with Count Basie for Pablo.

Dick Hyman was widely recorded on organ, though I prefer hearing him on a theatre or pipe organ, as he gets a great sound.

[mikeweil]

Herbie Hancock, although it was never widely publicized or properly credited. He is the ghost organist on Herbie Mann's Stone Flute album.

[jlhoots]

I've heard Emmet Cohen play organ.

[felser]

Don Pullen.  He's really good on this and it's followup, Shakill's II:

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Hank Jones also played harpsichord on his Impulse! LP "Happenings". I am not a fan of it and from the face Hank made when I handed him the LP to sign, he didn't either, asking me, "Did you really like this"? I replied, "I thought the black part of the cover would look good with you autograph on it". He smiled and signed.

[JSngry]

3 hours ago, mikeweil said:

Herbie Hancock, although it was never widely publicized or properly credited. He is the ghost organist on Herbie Mann's Stone Flute album.

Didn't he also play organ on Red Clay, one cut? 

[Rooster_Ties]

Andrew Hill, for a split second on the trio session from the BN Select -- it was just a minute or two (at most) in the middle of just one tune (and maybe an alternate?) -- far as I'm remembering.  It's definitely a 'don't blink or you'll miss it' situation.

Edited December 12, 2023 by Rooster_Ties

[mikeweil]

6 hours ago, JSngry said:

Didn't he also play organ on Red Clay, one cut? 

I don't remember. I don't have this album anymore and it was too long ago.

[JSngry]

 

[mjzee]

Mike LeDonne.  Primarily a pianist, he's made at least two great dates on organ:

Also, don't forget the track on Blue Note's "The Lost Sessions": Ike Quebec's "Blues On Trial" with Gene Harris of The 3 Sounds on organ.

[dicky]

Alexander Hawkins! With Joe McPhee.

[sgcim]

Tonight on the gig, I learned from both the trombone player and bass player that a keyboard player that we used to work with, Roy Gerson, died a little over a week ago. I was gonna put it under an RIP thread, because he got kind of well known in NYC as a swing pianist, but it works just as well here. When I worked with him back in the 80s, he was playing his Crumar organ in a group that had no bass player; he played left hand bass with an astounding independence that made it sound like we had a funk bass player playing in the band.

He was only 64 when he died of a heart attack, which would seem to be the way that someone as hyper as he was would pass. At the end off a typical four hour gig, he would be so exhausted from all the wild bass lines and wild changes he'd play, he would just sit there at the organ, staring at the keyboard for a good fifteen minutes, while the rest of the band would be packed up and ready to leave! I drove him somewhere once, and passed a car that was double-parked on a narrow two-way street, and he was so freaked out that he yelled out, "I CAN"T DIE NOW- I'M GOING TO BE A FAMOUS PIANO PLAYER!!!!"  To say he was kinda high-strung would be understating the case a great deal... RIP to a pianist who used to play the organ.

[danasgoodstuff]

16 hours ago, felser said:

Don Pullen.  He's really good on this and it's followup, Shakill's II:

 

Pullen also played organ on Maceo Parker's Roots Revisited.

[rpklich]

Dan Wall!

[BFrank]

On 12/12/2023 at 6:41 AM, felser said:

Don Pullen.  He's really good on this and it's followup, Shakill's II:

 

Those were going to be MY choices, too. Excellent sessions!

[Mark Stryker]

Glenn Gould's only recording on organ to my knowledge. 1962 release. 

 

 

[Jim Duckworth]

On 12/12/2023 at 7:51 AM, mikeweil said:

Herbie Hancock, although it was never widely publicized or properly credited. He is the ghost organist on Herbie Mann's Stone Flute album.

Herbie plays organ (for a very short bit) on Right Off from Miles' Tribute to Jack Johnson.

[HutchFan]

Pianist Mickey Tucker plays organ on these:

 

 

 

 

[JSngry]

37 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Pianist Mickey Tucker plays organ on these:

 

 

 

 

That Moody band was a working unit...maybe Tucker should be considered as both organist and pianist?

https://www.discogs.com/release/4426951-Mickey-Tucker-Triplicity

[HutchFan]

21 minutes ago, JSngry said:

That Moody band was a working unit...maybe Tucker should be considered as both organist and pianist?

O.K.