So the other day I was thinking about the jazz that I listen to and the title of an older Milt Jackson album popped into my head Ain’t But a Few of Us Left. Which made me think, who are the new jazz artists out there making the type of jazz I like who are the younger Milt Jacksons, Jimmy Smiths and Wes Montgomerys? So I went to the Roots Music Chart for jazz and looked down the chart and there at number 16 sat an interesting band name organissimo. The album listed was Alive and Kickin’. So then I went to Rhapsody and the first album listed was Groovapdelphia. So I downloaded it onto the mp3 player and set off to visit Toms River. I was not disappointed organissimo is a jazz trio from Michigan featuring Jim Alfredson on Hammond organ, Joe Gloss on guitar and drummer Randy Marsh. On Rhapsody they are listed as Acid Jazz but to they are just a great funky jazz trio with great organ and guitar interplay! From their website were you can find out more about the band
organissimo formed in late 2000 as a vehicle for guitarist Joe Gloss and organist Jim Alfredson’s growing stable of original songs. When they met at Michigan State University in the late 90s, the two quickly recognized a rare musical chemistry and began a search for a complimentary drummer. Randy Marsh fit the puzzle perfectl
organissimo’s music has received numerous local and national awards. organissimo’s latest album, Groovadelphia, topped the CMJ Jazz Charts for three weeks at #1 and stayed in the JazzWeek Top 50 for 14 weeks, peaking at #22. It won two WYCE Jammie Awards for Best Jazz Album and Best Song and was also named one of the Best Releases of 2008 by WVPE, KJAZZ, CKCU-FM, and Jim Wilke’s Jazz After Hours program, syndicated on over 60 NPR stations nationwide. It is also nominated for a Detroit Music Award.
You can read more raves Here
An interesting note about Randy’s dad from his bio on their website:
Arno Marsh, played tenor in Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Stan Kenton’s big band, Lionel Hampton’s big band, Maynard Ferguson’s big band, and with musicians such as Buddy Rich and Sammy Davis Jr. among many, many others. And he is still a staple of the Las Vegas big band scene after over 50 years.
Randy also says that Art Blakey (my favorite jazz drummer) is his hero!
Groovedelphia (2008) is their third release the others are
Alive and Kickin’ (2010)
This is the Place(2005)
Waiting for the Boogaloo Sisters (2003)
So if you like good jazz and particularly Hammond organ and guitar in the mold of Jimmy smith and Wes Montgomery with a litle more funk! Check out organissimo as for me I’m checking out all their releases!
From their new CD a track called “Jimmy Smith Goes to Washington”!
