The Fusion Reactor #70 - Hammond On!

This show focused on the fabulous Hammond Organ in a variety of roles, from backing chords to full out soloing. The playlist:

Helmet of Gnats - Yesterday's Brain (7:47)
The Hammond here is not the only keyboard, but it comes in strong and keeps things rockin'. What else would you expect from these guys except great fusion? A nice way to start the show.

Machine and the Synergetic Nuts - Solid Box (7:09)
This Japanese group never fails to make my eyes go wide with amazement. If they're not doing some crazy rhythmic pattern in perfect synergy, they're playing something that the sheer power of the sound just kicks butt. This one starts off with the latter and moves to the former. Again, it's not all Hammond, but it plays a major role in this tune.

Niacin - Montuno (6:26)
You knew there had to be some Niacin in a Hammond show, right? Killer riffs and solos from the keyboard master, John Novello. He moves to the piano for the middle of this one, but I always hear the Hammond melody as the main part.

Emerson Lake & Palmer - The Gnome (4:05)
An excerpt from their version of Pictures at an Exhibition. If classical music performed on an organ could be heavy metal, this would be a perfect example of it. Keith Emerson was largely responsible for me making the leap headfirst into prog, along with another great keyboardist who will be coming up later in the show.

Medeski Martin & Wood - Worms (5:06)
The theme to this one sounds like you're playing a very sinister game of Twister on a game show, if that makes any sense. John Medeski also knows his way around a keyboard quite well, as you can hear. This is one of those fusion jambands that really works well in a live setting. If you get the opportunity to see them live, do so. You won't regret it.

Rick Wakeman - Anne of Cleves (7:55)
Rick is the other huge keyboardist that really got me into prog music as a kid. This is one of my favorite pieces from The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I never got to see him play this live but I loved picturing him surrounded by his keyboards and pounding away at three of four of them at a time.

Tony Williams Lifetime - Mom and Dad (5:25)
Larry Young only entered my musical radar recently, through his work with Tony Williams and John McLaughlin. Here's a two song tribute to his keyboard (primarily organ) playing. His ethereal playing on this one makes this "nice" song sound a little bit scary to me. I wonder if that's the way Tony wanted it or not.

John McLaughlin - Siren (5:43)
The guitar and organ interplay on this bluesy selection makes it lots of fun. This time it's John's guitar tone that's sinister, rather than Larry's organ sound. I love the part after the fake fadeout... Like a glimpse into the future, we see a hazy photograph of Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Proto-Kaw - Theophany (11:44)
Just to show you that Hammond isn't solely a fusion instrument, Proto-Kaw gives us some really tasty prog that features the Hammond nicely in parts. Of course, you know how keyboard players are... They love to switch around between all their keyboards in the course of the song. With this one approaching 12 minutes, he has plenty of time to fit them all in.

Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery - Call Me (3:13)
Our classic jazz cut features the late, great Jimmy Smith, without whom the Hammond would not be the same today as we know it. He and Wes have a great time here on this one. I was glad to have the opportunity to put something a little less intense than the previous few tracks. Admit it, you needed a lite pop tune to get your palate cleansed and ready for some more prog, didn't you?

Schleigho - Farewell to the Sun (13:00)
The classic jazz cut is traditionally followed up by the fusion epic. A 13 minute Schleigho tune fills that spot nicely this evening. But wait! It's got vocals! But you have to wait almost 5 minutes before they come in. So is it prog or fusion? I don't know, you decide. All I know is that Jesse Gibbon kicks out a nasty Hammond solo in this one. In fact, the entire band is just amazing here. Makes you wonder why they're not more famous than they are. You kind of have to listen close to hear it, but this is a live track.

Passport - Horizon Beyond (6:47)
This is from Passport's second album, appropriately titled Second Passport. The organ is more in the background than other tracks this evening, but it's still there. John Mealing even gets a nice solo in the middle.

Battles - DANCE (4:43)
Look up frenetic in the dictionary, you'll see Battles. The organ and guitar interplay here with the stuttering drums make tough to imagine a dance to this one. Nope, that's not a drum machine, just a crazy human.

KBB - Slave Nature (6:41)
Another amazing Japanese band. What is it with these folks!? Wow is all I can say. The intensity here is palpable until it finally releases with a nice Rhodes interlude. Maybe next time I'll do a Rhodes feature. Akihisa Tsuboy switching back and forth between the violin and the guitar and Toshimitsu Takahashi switching between the Hammond and the Rhodes gives the song a very nice full sound.

U.K. - In the Dead of Night (13:03)
Ahhh, don't count your epics before they hatch! Eddie Jobson holds things down with the organ rhythm in this one. Great, classic stuff from John Wetton and the boys.

Upright - Progression (3:00)
Jim from Aural Moon tipped me off to this Canadian band's existence. After searching high and low for the CD, I finally got it and boy am I a happy camper. This track is primarily Rhodes but features a nice Hammond solo.

Soulive - Tabasco (4:31)
Neal Evans tears up the B3 on this one from their debut, while his brother Alan holds down the drums and Eric Krasno jams on the guitar. Their songs are infused with a certain happy energy that's hard to resist. Don't be surprised if you find yourself tapping your toes and bobbing your head along to this one.

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