Johnny Hammond (aka Johnny Smith, Dec. 16, 1933 — June 4, 1997) was an American jazz keyboardist who debuted in 1958 with a solo organ album as Johnny Smith. Adopting the name Johnny “Hammond” Smith, he released three soul-jazz albums on Prestige-subsidiary New Jazz in 1959/60, then switched to Prestige for 16 further albums between […]
Charles Earland (1941–1999) was an American organist who made two Sixties soul-jazz albums heading the Charlie Earland Trio. Between 1970 and 1975, he made ten albums for Prestige Records, including Leaving This Planet (a jazz-funk double-album) and The Dynamite Brothers (a blaxploitation soundtrack). In 1976, Earland reappeared on Mercury with Odyssey and formed a big […]
Les McCann (September 23, 1935 – December 29, 2023) was an American jazz pianist and singer. He emerged on Pacific Jazz Records with the 1960/61 albums Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth, Les McCann Ltd. in San Francisco, and Les McCann Sings. His records blended energetic trio performances with gospel-inflected vocals. He expanded his reputation […]
The Peddlers were an English jazz-rock/soul trio from Manchester that issued a clutch of singles on Philips during the mid-1960s, followed by three albums and further singles on CBS between 1967 and 1969. In 1972, the band teamed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the album Suite London on Philips. A live album of mostly […]
O’Donel Levy (September 20, 1945 – March 14, 2016) was an American R&B guitarist who released six albums between 1971 and 1976 on Groove Merchant. Background Levy was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He took up guitar as a child while his brother, Stafford Levy, chose drums. O’Donel enrolled as a music major at the Peabody […]
Gene Harris (September 1, 1933 — January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist. He led The Three Sounds through a prolific Blue Note run in the late 1950s and 1960s, recording both trio albums and collaborations with leading horn players. After a 1970s solo career that ranged from soul jazz to jazz-funk, he returned […]
Jimmy Smith (December 8, 1928 — February 8, 2005) was an American soul-jazz/funk organist who popularized the Hammond B-3 through his virtuosic improvisations. He rose from Philadelphia R&B groups to Blue Note Records in 1956, where he cut more than forty sessions including The Sermon!, House Party, and Back at the Chicken Shack. At Verve […]
Jimmy McGriff (April 3, 1936 — May 24, 2008) was an American soul-jazz/funk organist who helped define the Hammond B-3 sound. He broke through in 1961 with his hit “I’ve Got a Woman” and followed with Sue Records albums including All About My Girl and Blues for Mister Jimmy. At Solid State and Groove Merchant, […]
Jack McDuff (September 17, 1926 — January 23, 2001) was an American soul-jazz/funk organist. He rose in the 1960s as a leader on Prestige, where his hard-driving combos featured future stars like George Benson and Joe Dukes. In the 1970s he moved into funk and fusion on Cadet and Blue Note, later revitalizing his career […]
