Goodbye, Jimmy
In December of 2005 I noted the passing of Jimmy Smith, the greatest of all jazz organists. Along with an elite handful of others- Shirley Scott and Big John Patton come to mind- Jimmy McGriff stood atop the second tier. He died May 24. It's awful to see these giants depart. Yet most every city still has a premier jazz organist. In my town it's Everette DeVan. In fact, I might stop in to see him tonight. I'll bet he even knows "Red Sails In the Sunset." This funky version is from the most obscure McGriff disc in my collection. The liner notes to Georgia On My Mind are somewhat sketchy; the music it contained on the 1989 release, however, is glorious.
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Kansas City jazz great Earl Robinson, co-founder of the Scamps, died May 19.
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Utah Phillips died May 23.
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Franz Jackson died May 26. (Tip via BGO.)
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I'll bet you haven't heard this version of "Kansas City." Trojan Records!
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Oh my dear Lord! Goose Creek Symphony hadn't crossed my mind in over ten years. Incredibly, the country-rock pioneers are on tour.
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I've previously confessed that I don't dislike the Jonas Brothers. So I was mildly shocked to see the kids' new sound and different look as I monitored MTV Hits last night. What? That's not the Jonas Brothers? It's Tokio Hotel? Nevermind.
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Kansas City Click: The Dresden Dolls and their obsessive fans bond tonight at the Beaumont. "Rad", by opening act Smoosh, is #723 on my all-time favorite song list.
2 comments:
Yeah, Jimmy Mcgriff is (was) great. He did a couple dueling organist albums with Groove Holmes that are seriously cool.
Yeah dic, McGriff (was) is great.
I remember seeing him and Hank Crawford at the NOLA Jazz & Heritage Fest back in the 1980's.
It was the epitome of THE BLUES, and a damn fine crowd gathered to witness the precedings.
He will missed by organ lovers worldwide.
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