SamuelBLupowitz Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 I had an extremely ill-timed return to indoor gigging this weekend, but I am basking in the satisfaction of the first show with my new organ trio, a low-key but surprisingly effective side project with the guitarist I play with in pretty much everything and a new drummer we found who is the total package â great attitude, unbeatable chops, easy to work with, can pick up anything we throw at him immediately. Pulling the weight of bass, comping, and melody in an instrumental organ trio is a big step for me â I"m lucky to be flanked by two incredible musicians, but I"m also really proud of myself. That kind of satisfaction has been hard to achieve these days. We"re doing sort of a funk/R&B approach to the format, more like Soulive than Jimmy Smith, and we covered the Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Traffic, and Led Zeppelin, as well as played a few meter-shifting originals the guitarist brought in. We don"t have a name yet â made a long list of names that mostly reference The Office, and we"re heavily leaning toward Save Bandit! Anyway, just feeling good about it after the gig and wanted to share. It"s great to be able to rehearse with my A100 and 147, but the Mojo/Motion Sound KBR-3D was a formidable gig rig. Looking forward to doing more of this. Such an easy setup and sound check, and such freedom on the gig. Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yannis D Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Man I always dreamed of having an organ trio. Such a small but effective format plus you very got so many important things under your fingers. Good for you, enjoy it! You will have fun and improve all these different chops at once Quote Be grateful for what you've got - a Nord, a laptop and two hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Way to go! I started playing with an organ trio a year ago, it"s been kind of difficult in these times but so much fun..! We have Hammond, drums and a Sax player so I"m pretty much on my own⦠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Congrats, Sam. An organ trio is a dream of mine. Made some attempts at it that never reached the stage. The ability to change on a dime when you're playing bass and only dealing with 2 other musicians is a huge part of the attraction for me. The hardest part of any new project is the name. Keep trying! Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 ⦠The Sammy B3 1 Quote ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Some other groups along the same lines as Soulive worth mining: Stanton Moore Trio Galactic MMW John Schofield Ike Stubblefield 1 Quote Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Some other groups along the same lines as Soulive worth mining: Stanton Moore Trio Galactic MMW John Schofield Ike Stubblefield and let"s not forget Organissimo 1 Quote ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niacin Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Also check out Robert Walter and Delvon Lamarr, The latter does great versions of Move on Up and Inner City Blues. 1 Quote Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 Congrats, Sam! I am in awe of people who do the whole shebang with bass on the organ. My trio includes a bass player for that reason, but I've augmented the setup with a left-hand Wurli for a lot of the comping that a guitar would do in a "traditional" trio, plus the odd synth line and Space Echo, as you know. The band had existed for all of three weeks or so when we went to see Delvon Lamarr locally. Loved it, but decided explicitly to *not* go down that route. Finding a Good Name took ages. Though it seemed so obvious once we had it that it was unbelievable nobody had used it yet. Quote "The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk) The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 I don't have the left hand for that kind of gig, but as I'm getting older I'm starting to discover that a small keyboard led trio/quartet would the dream. Glad to hear you're living it. Enjoy it! Random office related bandnames from the top of my head: Few Word Trick Lizard King Burnt Foot 5th Vascetomy Snip Snap Mung Beans WHUPF Colmbian White The Boboddys Chair Model The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company Quote Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company I was trying to come up with something like that â The Blupowitz Organ Company, or Blupowitz Organ Corporation? â¦with their signature tune, "Blupowitz Blitz"! (yeah, I know it's Sam B. Lupowitz, but I never read it like that, and in my mind, you're stuck with it. ) Quote "The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk) The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteinwayB Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 I discovered "The Peddlers" on an episode of Breaking Bad; check out "On a Clear Day" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadroj Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company I was trying to come up with something like that â The Blupowitz Organ Company, or Blupowitz Organ Corporation? â¦with their signature tune, "Blupowitz Blitz"! (yeah, I know it's Sam B. Lupowitz, but I never read it like that, and in my mind, you're stuck with it. ) Regardless of band name, "Blupowitz Blitz" has to be a tune. Needs to be a good'un too! Quote Hammond SKX Mainstage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuelBLupowitz Posted August 9, 2021 Author Share Posted August 9, 2021 I don't have the left hand for that kind of gig, but as I'm getting older I'm starting to discover that a small keyboard led trio/quartet would the dream. Glad to hear you're living it. Enjoy it! Random office related bandnames from the top of my head: Few Word Trick Lizard King Burnt Foot 5th Vascetomy Snip Snap Mung Beans WHUPF Colmbian White The Boboddys Chair Model The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company"WUFPH" and "Snip Snap" were already on my list, believe it or not, and I wound up titling our guitarist's two instrumental originals "Did I Stutter?" and "Second Drink." "The Boboddys" and "Chair Model" are inspired, as is "Few Word Trick." The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company I was trying to come up with something like that â The Blupowitz Organ Company, or Blupowitz Organ Corporation? â¦with their signature tune, "Blupowitz Blitz"! (yeah, I know it's Sam B. Lupowitz, but I never read it like that, and in my mind, you're stuck with it. )I appreciate the respect for my left hand bass work and your assumption of my leadership role, but I think all y'all are *vastly* overestimating how much work I'm doing relative to the guitarist and drummer! Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 Nice, sounds like fun, Sam! I'm in a similar boat, with the blues band I play in having seen our bassist move on to other interests over the pandemic and opting for LHB over a replacement. A bit more in the vein of Matt Schofield or maybe a John Mayer Triopointfive. My right hand seems to have instantly lost several years of practice and soloing ability, but I'm having a lot of fun playing a tweaked J-Bass sample in my NS3 through a bass amp. In fact, gonna be playing it through a backline fridge this Thursday. Still, a little envious of your home rehearsal rig! Quote Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niacin Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Yeh it"s interesting where this can lead. I have the second gig this coming Monday after one last Sunday with a blues band where my left hand will be playing Hammond bass cause the bass player isn"t available. And just joined a Doors tribute. My funk trio is starting to get more work and we did a gig with a singer that has inspired me to get a set of portable pedals, just thinking for ballads at this stage - we did A Change is Gonna Come and I found myself thinking I could do so much more with the draw bars if I had pedals. Started out on organ, haven"t played pedals for 35 years, but it"s like riding a bike and I immediately found that I didn"t have to look down, something in my body memory knows where to kick the notes. Quote Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Imagine being Chester Thompson and having to play Rocco's parts after he got picked up for possession on the way to the gig! (I can't actually imagine being CT, but the sentiment remains, lol) Quote Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 I discovered "The Peddlers" on an episode of Breaking Bad; check out "On a Clear Day"... The Peddlers' line-up is organ/bass/drums rather than the usual organ/guitar/drums, but Roy Phillips has a great sound and style on the Hammond. Check out his playing on this track, especially his solo at 3:30 - 5:40. [video:youtube] My favourite organ trio has been billed variously on recordings as the Peter Bernstein Trio, the Larry Goldings Trio, or just Bernstein, Goldings & Stewart ... always funky, soulful, swinging and tasteful ... and Larry Goldings' sound and style on the Hammond are the gold standard for me. [video:youtube] John Scofield, Larry Goldings and Greg Hutchinson are a formidable trio too. [video:youtube] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Organ trio is a thrilling tight rope walk! It"s all on you to keep the whole band on the wire. Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 As I'm a huge proponent of KB led bands, I hope for a continuous blast with the organ trio. Quote PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrissey Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 John Scofield, Larry Goldings and Greg Hutchinson are a formidable trio too. That's quite the three names to put on a marquee! Was this trio together long? I missed them somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Tatum Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Thanks for clueing me in to The Peddlers - I loved that Clear Day track from Breaking Bad, but didn't know who it was. Loved the arrangement. Great B3 playing and singing from Roy Phillips - I believe he's white (not positive), but he sounds black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drohm Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Sweet! I have a newer 4-piece instrumental group playing similar music. A lot of room to stretch out on keys. We play a lot of Scofield, MWW, Meters, etc., with some originals mixed in. It is super fun. I am terrible with band names, so I can't help with that. Quote NS3C, Hammond XK5, Yamaha S7X, Sequential Prophet 6, Yamaha YC73, Roland Jupiter X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piktor Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company I was trying to come up with something like that â The Blupowitz Organ Company, or Blupowitz Organ Corporation? â¦with their signature tune, "Blupowitz Blitz"! (yeah, I know it's Sam B. Lupowitz, but I never read it like that, and in my mind, you're stuck with it. ) This is how I read it when I looked at it quickly: The Blue Poets. Hmm, if you don"t use that name, I might. Enjoy the endeavour. Up until the pandemic, I was working out original tunes with a bass player and a drummer. My ideal would be to have a drummer who could sing and a third member who was adept at playing both bass and guitar. It would be more fun if sometimes I got to play bass and sometimes I got to give that responsibility to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 John Scofield, Larry Goldings and Greg Hutchinson are a formidable trio too. That's quite the three names to put on a marquee! Was this trio together long? I missed them somehow. I gather that the project, billed as the John Scofield Organic Trio, was active in 2013-14. https://www.kmuw.org/music/2014-05-09/john-scofield-finds-harmony-with-organic-trio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Thanks for clueing me in to The Peddlers - I loved that Clear Day track from Breaking Bad, but didn't know who it was. Loved the arrangement. Great B3 playing and singing from Roy Phillips - I believe he's white (not positive), but he sounds black. The Peddlers were from England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peddlers See also this thread. https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2668872/re-organ-fans-i-give-you-the-peddlers Here's a live video from 1971. [video:youtube] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Tatum Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Here's a live video from 1971. Awesome video, thanks Paul! Nice rhythm section too, that bass player has an unusual way of playing an electric bass. I'll bet he's also an upright player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogika Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 The Samuel Blupowitz Organ Company I was trying to come up with something like that â The Blupowitz Organ Company, or Blupowitz Organ Corporation? â¦with their signature tune, "Blupowitz Blitz"! (yeah, I know it's Sam B. Lupowitz, but I never read it like that, and in my mind, you're stuck with it. ) This is how I read it when I looked at it quickly: The Blue Poets. Quote "The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk) The Drawbars | off jazz organ trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Quinn Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 Nice Sam! Enjoy, I've done a bunch of organ trio gigs throughout the years and have enjoyed them so much. Once of the best things about this format is that if you have a problem with the bass player you look in the mirror and get to work fixing it. For me the most difficult thing is playing expressively with my RH while keeping the bass locked in the pocket with the drummer. Ideally the right hand melody can flirt with the time -- playing on top of or behind the beat -- while the left hand maintains the groove. Easier said than done but with some practice is worth the effort. Quote https://alquinn.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Towne Posted August 14, 2021 Share Posted August 14, 2021 I"ve told the story a million times about how I learned to play LH bass. When I was starting out, Sal Azzarelli told me to 'sit on your right hand for six weeks and learn to walk an F blues. At the end of the six weeks, I want you to walk a bass line and tell me a joke at the same time.' Could have been the most valuable advice I"ve ever received. 1 Quote Endorsing Artist/Ambassador for MAG Organs and Motion Sound Amplifiers, Organ player for SRT - www.srtgroove.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.