Barbara Dennerlein_Organ like a whole orchestra

Barbara Dennerlein had performed about 350 kilometres south from Bonn in Nürtingen the day before. The Nürtinger Zeitung wrote: "Barbara Dennerlein and her Hammond B3 enchanted the audience on Sunday evening in the sold out Town Church. Barbara Dennerlein, a German jazz musician with world-wide reputation, and an amazingly likable person played again at the St. Laurence Church - but not the church organ as four years ago but her Hammond B3.

It was cold outside, and thus the Munich-based artist admitted that she had to warm-up first. Of course, a warm-up of this master with Johnny Green's swinging "Out Of Nowhere" is a pleasure. "Sensitivity", an own composition inspired by a trip to Brazil brought sun and warmth into the church. Again the virtuous ply of hands and feet seemed so easy and the Hammond sounded classy. Between the pieces Barbara Dennerlein once and again narrated charmingly.

And she told the story of the Hammond B3. ...Barbara Dennerlein gave wings to the classic instrument. Under her hands, the organ sounds like a whole orchestra. The Hammond sounds are ironic, cheeky or easy, and in the next moment the instrument converts into a piano due to the additional synthesizer sounds. ... Her composition "Oversized" is a side blow to the mentality to oversize everything in consuming - a critical statement of society wrapped in an instrumental piece with shades of sounds. Of course Dennerlein had plenty of blues to offer. "Bluesy" catches the audience right away, increases in cascades until it ends in a roaring final chord that ends in rapturous audience applause.

The latin composition "Tamburo" shows another facet of the versatile Hammond B3. Using the instrument’s percussive ‘keyclick’ options, allowing her to play the keyboards like smacking a drumhead, Barbara plays this piece solo on her Hammond. Here she can get a workout and exhaust herself on the instrument - "like in sports," she says.

Introducing "Bloody Mary" the artist shyly admited that she was inspired to this song only by the drink's name because she does not drink alcohol at all and has no idea how it tastes.

Finally, she tells the audience that she is pleased by the crowd and enjoyed playing in this beautiful church. "I feel fine like four years ago," she says. Such a compliment makes the evening perfect. No criticism that she plays "only" one encore after one and a half hour soloing, even the audience shouted for more. Such a concert is exhausting. This would be made very clear to anyone watching this organist play with such concentrated effort. The encore was "Organ Boogie". A normal boogie pianist plays the bass line with the left hand, but the super-coordinated Barbara plays it with the left foot. Wow!"