Q: Where does a massive rhino sleep? A: Anywhere it wants to.
Please forgive the “Dad joke” intro. But trust me, it fits. Joey De Francesco is arguably the greatest living Hammond B-3 organ player. Many would remove the “arguably” qualifier. The son of B-3 great “Papa” John DeFancesco, Joey is a gifted player and a rare example of the younger surpassing the elder in output alone, if not ability.
On the subject of output, there can be no debate. Though a relatively young man, “Joey D” has one of the largest sections in KBEM’s extensive library. At the tail end of the cd era, he had no label exclusivity contract and was at liberty to make as many recordings as he desired. This typically amounted to several a year.
Here’s where the Dad joke ties in. When the recordings are as great and the name is so celebrated, there’s never too much, and sometimes not enough.Having said all that, his mammoth studio output seems to have abated in the download age. Defrancesco is now yet another addition to the Mack Avenue roster.
“More Music” hits the streets soon and is as good as anything he’s done in the last few decades. It’s pure Joey. Whether you know what that entails or not, you should enjoy it. Unless, of course you’re not a fan of the B-3 sound.
Kevin T. O’Connor
Music Director
88.5 KBEM-FM | Jazz88.FM
