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Name that organist with Aretha

Josh Paxton

By Josh Paxton
in The Keyboard Corner

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Joe Muscara

Joe Muscara

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Yeah. Whoever it is, *very* gospel influenced. Funny to show that many shots of his hands and never his face. My vote goes to BP as well, but what do I know.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Joe Muscara

Joe Muscara

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I've spent the last few minutes trying to find videos of him from that era. I found one where he was wearing a pinky ring on his right hand like that, but he was playing clav and moving so fast it was hard to tell.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Ed Stanley

Ed Stanley

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I'd suffer Aretha's singing to hear Billy playing, and her playing for that matter.

 

+1

All those fools who proclaim Aretha the greatest R&B singer whoever lived are idiots! Why is it that only Kanker and I are enlightened enouigh to see through it all?

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Pale

Pale

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I'd suffer Aretha's singing to hear Billy playing, and her playing for that matter.

 

+1

All those fools who proclaim Aretha the greatest R&B singer whoever lived are idiots! Why is it that only Kanker and I are enlightened enouigh to see through it all?

 

I have Aretha's "Gospel Greats" album. I cringe everytime when she starts to sing on "You've got a friend". The choir sounds so much better without her it's unbelievable.

 

She's proclaimed as "best" because she had so much hits on the charts. Still, I don't think she's a bad singer.

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Josh Paxton

Josh Paxton

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Well this is a bit embarrassing. I was sent this clip by a friend who's working on a documentary on James Booker, asking if I thought it could be him. My immediate thought, before watching the clip, was "Nah, I'll bet it's Billy Preston." But then when I checked out the clip, I actually thought it didn't sound like Billy, because I wasn't hearing any of his trademark volume swells. And I thought, if it's not Billy, maybe it actually is Booker, since he was alleged to have played a couple high-profile events with Aretha in the early '70s. Hmmm...

 

However, I made that assessment while listening through my crappy laptop speakers. Once I listened again through decent headphones and could hear more detail in the organ, the volume swells were there after all, and it totally sounded like Billy. So false alarm; the obvious answer turns out to be the right one.

 

Still, a great performance, keyboard-wise and overall, and I'm not a bit ashamed for posting it. ;)

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stepay

stepay

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Man some of you are rough on poor Aretha. She's definitely not the best singer ever, because that trophy clearly goes to Tiny Tim, but I can sure understand her greatness.

 

That said, listening to Billy Preston play is better than hearing Aretha sing (and I LIKE Aretha).

Steve (Stevie Ray)

"Do the chickens have large talons?"

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dazzjazz

dazzjazz

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I was knocked out by:

 

1. The beautiful "throaty" sound BP has on the lower manual

2. The backing vocalists - wow, let them do the gig by themselves!

www.dazzjazz.com

PhD in Jazz Organ Improvisation.

BMus (Hons) Jazz Piano.

my YouTube is Jazz Organ Bites

1961 A100.Leslie 45 & 122. MAG P-2 Organ. Kawai K300J. Yamaha CP4. Moog Matriarch. KIWI-8P.

 

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CEB

CEB

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Right now I am going through another one of my Nina Simone phases. She could sing and she could play the hell out of a piano.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Josh Paxton

Josh Paxton

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Right now I am going through another one of my Nina Simone phases. She could sing and she could play the hell out of a piano.

 

Yup. And before anyone else says it, yes, she had some pitch problems. And I would rather listen to her sing off key than 95% of other singers sing with dead-on perfect pitch.

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Bobadohshe

Bobadohshe

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I was sent this clip by a friend who's working on a documentary on James Booker, asking if I thought it could be him

 

I can't wait to see that documentary.

 

..since he was alleged to have played a couple high-profile events with Aretha in the early '70s. Hmmm...

 

I would LOVE to hear that.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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Pale

Pale

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Since I am one of the critics I'm gonna reply: I was not criticising the singing in the youtube clip, I just said I didn't think Aretha was the best R&B singer ever. I never said Aretha was a bad singer, on the contrary, I think Aretha is a great singer.

 

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Josh Paxton

Josh Paxton

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I was sent this clip by a friend who's working on a documentary on James Booker, asking if I thought it could be him

 

I can't wait to see that documentary.

 

Me either. I hope she gets the funding she needs to finish it. NPR just did a piece on it here, and the official site is www.jamesbooker.com.

 

..since he was alleged to have played a couple high-profile events with Aretha in the early '70s. Hmmm...

 

I would LOVE to hear that.

 

Then you'll be interested in something I just learned: apparently you can hear the two of them together, and probably already have. I haven't read this myself, but according to my filmmaker friend, Jerry Wexler's autobiography says that it was actually Booker playing organ on Aretha's recording of "A Change Is Gonna Come," not Dewey "Spooner" Oldham as listed in the liner notes.

 

That information made me go back and re-listen to that cut, as well as the rest of the I Never Loved A Man album to see of any other tracks sounded like they might have Booker on organ. The only other one I thought sounded like it might possibly be him is "Dr. Feelgood." Now here's why that's interesting. The first time I ever heard Booker's version of "Black Night," my immediate reaction was, "Oh, he's copping Aretha's piano part on 'Dr. Feelgood'." It's not exact, of course, but it sounds like that was definitely the inspiration behind his approach to that song. So if it turned out he had actually played on the recording, well, that would make sense in a lot of ways.

 

To hear the influence going the other way, you can hear Aretha copping Booker's playing on her recording of his tune, "So Swell When You're Well." The piano solo is basically a string of her imitating his licks.

 

[/booker geek mode]

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Bobadohshe

Bobadohshe

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Then you'll be interested in something I just learned: apparently you can hear the two of them together, and probably already have. I haven't read this myself, but according to my filmmaker friend, Jerry Wexler's autobiography says that it was actually Booker playing organ on Aretha's recording of "A Change Is Gonna Come," not Dewey "Spooner" Oldham as listed in the liner notes.

 

That information made me go back and re-listen to that cut, as well as the rest of the I Never Loved A Man album to see of any other other tracks sounded like they might have Booker on organ. The only other one I thought sounded like it might possibly be him is "Dr. Feelgood." Now here's why that's interesting. The first time I ever heard Booker's version of "Black Night," my immediate reaction was, "Oh, he's copping Aretha's piano part on 'Dr. Feelgood'." It's not exact, of course, but it sounds like that was definitely the inspiration behind his approach to that song. So if it turned out he had actually played on the recording, well, that would make sense in a lot of ways.

 

To hear the influence going the other way, you can hear Aretha copping Booker's playing on her recording of his tune, "So Swell When You're Well." The piano solo is basically a string of her imitating his licks.

 

[/booker geek mode]

 

Dude all the knowledge of such things that you have is awesome. As much as I have loved James Booker; put in hrs getting some of his stuff under my fingers and praying that it would seep into my style, pouring over the details in Dr. Johns autobiography - I don't have the knowledge and depth that you have. Thanks for sharing. You should use that [booker geek mode] more often.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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Sven Golly

Sven Golly

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Two thoughts:

 

1) in 1971, when this performance occurred, Billy Preston was a big enough star that I'd have thought he'd get mentioned in the intro, even with Aretha being the main focus, and

 

2) in 1971, Billy's afro had it's own gravitational pull... I'd have expected to see at least a shadow from it over the organ. ;)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Billy_Preston.jpg/250px-Billy_Preston.jpg

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