Nick Finzer; most reported: Joey DeFrancesco

2/27 #jazz chart (2/2): top debut: Nick Finzer; most reported: Joey DeFrancesco https://t.co/wXZ5la2J4A pic.twitter.com/VZopuCQUaG

— JazzWeek (@JazzWeek) 23 de fevereiro de 2017

Joey DeFrancesco

Festival Miami - Joey DeFrancesco at UM Gusman Concert Hall Nov 3, 2015

JAZZ AND BEYOND SERIES

Tuesday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m. 

UM Gusman Concert Hall 
Joey DeFrancesco—Master Jazz Organist - Singin’ and Swingin’

Master jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco tears it up on his Hammond B3 in the great tradition of the incredible Jimmy Smith. A crowd favorite at festivals worldwide, you’ll soon become a fan of his swinging style and remarkable originality.

Music preview: Joey DeFrancesco

By Tony Ozuna - For the Post

Joey DeFrancesco is a world-renowned Hammond B3 organist, following in the tradition of soul jazz - bluesy-funk grooves on the same instrument as masters Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff. He will soon perform in Prague with his new trio at Divadlo u Hasičů, just blocks from náměstí Miru.

Since 2003, DeFrancesco has repeatedly won the Down Beat Critics and Readers Poll Awards for Top Jazz Organist, but finding his most recent recordings can get confusing, since he has slyly moved himself to the second tier and instead put his father Papa John DeFrancesco on many of his recent efforts.

In this way, the younger DeFrancesco seems to be thanking his father, who is also an exceptional Hammond B3 organist, for introducing him to jazz at such a young age, while growing up in Philadelphia. Referring to the Hammond B3 and his father's influence on his career, DeFrancesco tells The Prague Post, "His influence was the records and music he listened to. I loved it at a very early age. I loved this music before I even knew what an organ was."

"Then when he brought the organ home because he wasn't working at times, I realized the sound that I was hearing on those great Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Brother Jack McDuff, Don Patterson, Larry Young records was coming from this massive instrument, and I just had to play it. He influenced me without influencing me."

One notable recent recording on Savant Records lists Papa John DeFrancesco as the group's leader, with Joey merely listed as a sideman on trumpet, along with another DeFrancesco son, John Jr. on guitar. Papa John DeFrancesco-A Philadelphia Story (2011) includes foot-stomping, groovy soul jazz covers of '60s and '70s classics, including Cream's "Strange Brew," The Temptations' "Papa was a Rolling Stone" and the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing," and perhaps most appropriately, a Country-Western gem, Glenn Campbell's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix."

That song refers to Papa John's recent relocation from Philadelphia to Arizona to live closer to his son Joey, who has been living in the Sun State since the early '90s. Another scorching recording with father and son from 2010, Desert Heat, lists Papa John DeFrancesco on Hammond B-3 with Joey on keyboards, along with two Latin-jazz icons, Tony and Ramon Banda, formerly from Los Angeles and previously of Poncho Sanchez's famed Latin soul-jazz group, but now based in Arizona.

The father and son's family project has been successful if, for nothing else, making the jazz world aware of Papa John DeFrancesco's talent on the B3 as a worthy match to his son's.

"He has become a little more known in recent years, due to the fact that I've become very well known, and through interviews and relationships in the business that I have, it has made it possible for him to have a recording career, and become more known," DeFrancisco admits.

For his concert in Prague, DeFrancesco will be joined by his trio, including Rick Zunigar on guitar, and at least one of the Banda brothers, Ramon on drums and percussion.

"Ramon brings a beautiful Latin-based groove that I really like playing with, and it makes me hear and play different," DeFrancesco says.

For this tour, DeFrancesco will be playing from his most recent recordings, including 40, an album celebrating his 40th birthday. DeFrancesco's age must come as quite a surprise to some fans, since he has been active on the jazz scene for almost 30 years.

In other words, DeFrancesco started off more or less as a child prodigy, and already by his mid-teens he was playing with some of jazz's biggest names, including Jack McDuff and Richard "Groove" Holmes, yet another Hammond B3 Master. At the age of 17, he was even asked by Miles Davis to join his band on the album Amandla (1989).

So it is fitting that DeFrancesco's 2011 Grammy-nominated recording is a tribute to another child prodigy. Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson was recorded after Jackson's death, and includes songs from his solo career - five of these from Thriller, including "Billie Jean," and "Beat It."

DeFrancesco admits he was a Jackson fan when he was young, and this sparked the idea to make this recording.

"I saw Michael Jackson perform a few times, and once when I was younger, I saw him when the Jackson 5 had a reunion tour, and he knocked me out. I also met Michael very briefly at a Columbia Records convention when I was 18 and recording for that label," he says.

It's also possible they'll include a Michael Jackson song or two on this tour, he says.

DeFrancesco performed in the Czech Republic in November, but he was playing as a guest with the David Sanborn Trio in České Budějovice.

"I've played in Prague before, and the only thing I can say is that I always enjoyed each time, and there were great audiences," he says. "I'm looking forward to playing there this time because my wife, Gloria, will be with me, and I always love when she travels with me. It makes everything so much better."

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com

http://www.praguepost.cz/night-and-day/stage/11741-music-preview-joey-defrancesco.html

Sara Jacovino with Joey DeFrancesco and the Airmen of Note

UNT alumnus Alan Baylock sent this photo: "Here is a picture that was taken after the Airmen of Note gig with Joey DeFrancesco last Fall. Sara also conducted "Ordinary Deviation," which was the winner of the annual Sammy Nestico Award.

You might recognize everyone, but just in case. Front: Alan Baylock, Sara Jacovino, Joey DeFrancesco, Joe Jackson. Back: Andy Axelrad, Jeff Martin, Ben Patterson, Doug Morgan, Rich Sigler, Tyler Kuebler. All of us (minus Joey) were at UNT at some point and and I think all but one of us graduated!"
http://www.jazz.unt.edu/sites/default/files/images/apr10/sara-jacovino-with-airmen.jpg

Valentine's Week at The Blue Note: David Sanborn Quartet featuring Joey DeFrancesco

Renowned and revered the world over as one of the greatest saxophone players of all-time, David Sanborn is an artist whose music has inspired countless other musicians while creating a body of work that spans the genres of rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, pop and jazz. A naturally gifted performer, David has helped defined the saxophone’s modern sound while influencing a generation.

Born July 30, 1945 in Tampa, Florida, David William Sanborn contracted polio when he was only 3 years old. As a part of his rehabilitative therapy, David was introduced to the saxophone. It was an introduction with consequences quite beyond the imagination of his parents, doctors – or anyone else. The selection of the alto sax – a favourite from David’s days spent listening to the radio – would prove to be a pivotal moment in the development of his sound. [Picture David Sanborn]

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, David was tremendously inspired by the rich legacy of great Chicago blues artists who would play their way through town. Before he was finished high school, David had played with names such as Albert King and Little Milton. "When I was 17 or 18,” David has said, "And it was time to figure out what to do with my life, I realized that I didn't enjoy anything as much as I enjoyed playing music. I felt that I had no choice, that I HAD to become a musician. Either that or steal cars."

David studied music for a year at Northwestern University before transferring to the University of Iowa. By 20, he was married and the proud father of a son – Jonathan Sanborn – for whom each of David’s records have been dedicated. A phone call from an old friend in San Francisco – drummer Teddy Steward – convinced David to head for California. It was while in San Francisco that another old friend – Phillip Wilson – who had recently joined the Butterfield Blues Band, invited David to Los Angeles to sit-in on recording sessions with the band. “I got on a Greyhound bus from San Francisco to LA, took a bus into Hollywood, slept on the floor of Phillip's hotel room and went to the studio with him.” David has said. “Just had my horn. I think it was because I looked so pathetic, standing there with my horn, Paul Butterfield said, "Why don't you just come and play on a tune?" I sat in and I did okay. And I was with Butterfield for almost five years.”

Those five years saw David –with the Butterfield Blues Band – play Woodstock, among many other classic gigs. But the demise of that band only brought David new opportunities and within a week he was touring with another legend – Stevie Wonder. David played on Wonder’s remarkable “Talking Book” LP, rocked briefly with rock and roll heroes The Rolling Stones then toured with David Bowie, eventually performing his famous solo on Bowie’s 1975 recording “Young Americans.” [picture: Joey DeFrancesco]

It was also in 1975 that David released his first solo album Taking Off. The record enjoyed respectable sales and while David continued working with other performers such as Paul Simon and James Taylor he also continued flexing his considerable muscles as a solo artist, eventually scoring massive popular hits with 1980’s Hideaway and 1981’s Grammy winning Voyeur. 1983 saw David branch off in a new artistic direction with his first acting roll in the Italian film "Stelle Sulla Citta" for which he also scored the soundtrack. It was also in ’83 that David released his landmark Backstreet album which proved a major hit in the world of contemporary jazz.

David was awarded his second Grammy in 1986 for the album Double Vision and in the late 1980s hosted one of the most remarkable musical television programs of all time – Night Music. Offering up old films of jazz legends, music talk and incredible jams by an increasingly eclectic roll call of musicians from different fields, Night Music is fondly remembered among music fans as a groundbreaking and genre-bursting show. Produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, Night Music brought artists as diverse as Sonny Rollins, Leonard Cohen, Hank Crawford, Conway Twitty, Sonic Youth, Al Green and the Pixies together on one program.

Throughout the nineties and into the present, David has continued to tour and record, having amassed a wide and enthusiastic fan base around the world. The albums Pearls, Songs From The Night Before and Essentials reflect the essence of an artist at peace with his own sound and development, yet still hungry – eager to explore the possibilities of his instrument and his abilities. David Sanborn is both musician and artist – that rare breed of popular recording star as eager today as he was in his youth to continue pushing boundaries and to continue making music that challenges the mind as it rewards the heart and soul. David Sanborn, alto saxophone
Joey DeFrancesco, organ
Ricky Peterson, keyboards
Gene Lake, drums
http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=7533

Jam session video taken at 'Steamers Jazz Cafe' located in Fullerton, CA. With funny ending. Thanks to Terence M.Love and "Steamers Jazz Club" for providing this footage.

At Bistro....

Jazz St. Louis has announced another change in the season schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. From the letter sent out to subscribers:

"Due to scheduling conflicts, Joey DeFrancesco has been forced to reschedule his dates for March of 2010. To make things easier for everyone, we have switched his dates with those of Alyssa Graham. The new dates will be:
Alyssa Graham: March 3 - 6, 2010
Joey DeFrancesco: March 31 - April 3, 2010

This will not affect our Series One, Three or Four subscribers, as both shows are in your series. For others of you who have purchased tickets to one or both shows, those tickets are now good for the new dates of each artist. If you unable to make the newly scheduled dates, you may return your tickets to the point of purchase for a full refund.
We sincerely hope that this will be the last schedule change we have this season and appreciate everyone's patience as we try to accommodate both our patrons and our artists." JSL's Bob Bennett tells StLJN that the scheduling conflict arose when DeFrancesco, considered one of the top organ players in jazz, agreed to be part of saxophonist David Sanborn's band for a tour next year. Some of Sanborn's dates overlapped DeFrancesco's scheduled stint at the Bistro, prompting the switch with Graham (pictured), a singer who will be making her Bistro debut.

Joey DeFrancesco....

Joey DeFrancesco has come a long way from All of Me, his recording debut as a leader made in 1989 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old. From the get-go, the Philadelphia native established his credentials with virtuoso technique and an innate soulfulness that he brought to bear on the hulking Hammond B-3 organ which belied his young age but spoke of his deep Philly roots under the tutelage of his father, Papa John DeFrancesco, a B-3 burner in his own right. Through the 1990s, Joey was widely recognized as spearheading a renewed interested in the Hammond organ, an instrument that had fallen out of favor among musicians and the public since its golden period during the 1960s and early 70s.

Joey dazzling facility was once described as by guitar great Pat Martino, himself a veteran of many classic B-3 sessions. Combining monstrous chops with a flair for showmanship and an unquenchable urge to burn, DeFrancesco almost single-handedly put the Beast back in the public eye. As the late critic Leonard Feather wrote in the liner notes to his 1994 recording, All About My Girl: No less significant in the story of Joey’s ascendancy is the ability he has shown to create excitement. The tension he is capable of building brings back to mind a tradition that began some 50 years ago, when Norman Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts began stirring up audiences around the country. Listen to a ˜Donna Lee” and other cuts on this CD and you can hardly fail to be moved by the emotion Joey and his colleagues generate.


Today DeFrancesco is regarded by organ aficionados as the baddest B-3 burner in the business (a claim supported by his five consecutive DownBeat Critics Poll awards for 2002, 2003, 2004, 3005and 2006). And while Joey has never made any boastful claims about his own ranking among the organ elite on the contrary, he has always respectfully deferred to his B-3 elders, the fact is, no organist today plays with the skill, harmonic depth, and authority of this phenomenon from Philly. With over 20 solo releases and historic associations with legends such as Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Bobby Hutcherson, Elvin Jones and John McLaughlin, DeFrancesco's place in the idiom’s history is cemented.
In addition, Joey has become an owner in a new company, Diversi Organ. Diversi Organ manufactures a new drawbar organ, here in the United States near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joey was so impressed with the sound produced by their cloning technology that he asked if he could "buy into" the company. This is truly historic as never before has any organist, of his stature, ever owned or been a partner in a company.
http://www.joeydefrancesco.com/bio.html

Frankfurt Musikmesse - Joey DeFrancesco,Luca Serenelli,Cristian Dumitrescu (part.1)

A little jam session at Frankfurt Musikmesse 04/04/2009.Joey DeFrancesco (organ) ; Cristian Dumitrescu (guitar) ; Luca Serenelli (electric piano).