Called by Mozart The King of the Instruments the organ went from sacred to salacious when it
left the church and began turning up in jazz clubs in the 1950s. It was at that time that the
model B-3 organ was assimilated into the jazz line-up and became a sought-after solo
instrument. Its hipper-than-hip tone color and thumping bass pedals defined an instrumental
sound that mesmerizes the instrument's aficionados to this very day. Pittsburgh-born Bill Heid
knows the B-3's history well and his playing ranges from the boppis hto the bodacious. From
1965 into the late 70's he worked the chicken shack clubs in Baltimore Newark Detroit and
Chicago often with greats like Sonny Stitt David Fathead Newman Mickey Roker Roger
Humphries Henry Johnson Jimmy Ponder and Peter Bernstein. Heid himself penned all but one of
the tunes with each of them channeling the musicalspirits of such Hammond luminaries as Don
Patterson Big John Patton Baby Face Willette Larry Young Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff. The
album closes with a too-cool-for-school take on Hurt So Bad which looks back with a knowing
glance to the Richard Groove Holmes version. Throughout the 10 tracks the band plays with a
soulful feeling a great sense of ensemble and no small amount of infectious joy - drummer
Randy Gelispie hits exactly the right mix of blues and swing with his relaxed in-the-pocket
feel and Perry Hughes on guitar ties things together with his own thoughtful style in his
imaginative and satisfying solo breaks.
