Bill Doggett • Honky Tonk Organ

Best known for his big instrumental hit from 1956, "Honky Tonk," keyboardist Bill Doggett is not an easy musician to pigeonhole since he had also played with the Ink Spots and Louis Jordan before breaking through on his own. Some people might take issue with the labels that I've assigned to him and say that he should be classified as an R&B musician. To my way of thinking, black music from the 1940s and 1950s described as such is better categorized as blues or rock 'n' roll. Never mind the fact that this LP was recorded in 1966 or thereabouts because the material is still very much in a 1950s and early 1960s vein. Doggett always did have a jazz side to him as well, and many of the cuts here compare favorably with material by other Hammond B-3 organ wizards such as Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff.
Recorded for Columbia's budget imprint Harmony, Honky Tonk Organ is a pleasant if not not life-changing instrumental album. It includes a two-part remake of "Honky Tonk" that the liner notes describe as "played at a slightly faster tempo to accommodate the newest dance steps." Don't worry, they don't try to make it psychedelic or anything like that; it's still very much in keeping with the original. Tracks such as "Canadian Sunset," "'Deed I Do," "All Souls Blues," and "Buster" make for agreeable swinging bachelor pad cocktail music. "Opus D" allows Doggett to stretch out a bit, while "St. Louis Blues" and "Careless Love" are nice, swinging interpretations of old standards. "Mommy Part 1" is cut from a cloth similar to "Honky Tonk," but what happened to "Part 2"?
Most of the performances utilize Doggett's typical organ-electric guitar-drum trio format, although there is a saxophonist that appears on many of the tracks as well. It's a pity that the backing musicians are uncredited, and especially the guitarist because his playing will appeal to those who are fans of Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. Overall, this LP is not as great as the classic sides that he did for King Records during the 1950s, but is still worth a spin nonetheless.

 

///////

 

Conocido sobre todo por su gran éxito instrumental de 1956, "Honky Tonk", el teclista Bill Doggett no es un músico fácil de encasillar, ya que también había tocado con los Ink Spots y Louis Jordan antes de abrirse camino por su cuenta. Algunos podrían discrepar de las etiquetas que le he asignado y decir que debería ser clasificado como músico de R&B. A mi modo de ver, la música negra de los años 40 y 50 descrita como tal es mejor clasificarla como blues o rock 'n' roll. No importa que este LP se haya grabado en 1966 o más o menos, porque el material sigue siendo muy de los años 50 y principios de los 60. Doggett siempre tuvo una faceta jazzística, y muchos de los cortes de este disco se comparan favorablemente con el material de otros magos del órgano Hammond B-3 como Jack McDuff y Jimmy McGriff.
Grabado para el sello económico de Columbia, Harmony, Honky Tonk Organ es un álbum instrumental agradable, aunque no cambie la vida. Incluye un remake en dos partes de "Honky Tonk" que las notas de presentación describen como "tocado a un ritmo ligeramente más rápido para acomodar los pasos de baile más nuevos". No te preocupes, no intentan hacerlo psicodélico ni nada por el estilo; sigue siendo muy acorde con el original. Temas como "Canadian Sunset", "'Deed I Do", "All Souls Blues" y "Buster" constituyen una agradable música de cóctel de despedida de soltero. "Opus D" permite a Doggett estirarse un poco, mientras que "St. Louis Blues" y "Careless Love" son buenas interpretaciones de viejos estándares. "Mommy Part 1" está cortada por un patrón similar al de "Honky Tonk", pero ¿qué pasó con "Part 2"?
La mayoría de las interpretaciones utilizan el típico formato de trío de órgano, guitarra eléctrica y batería de Doggett, aunque también hay un saxofonista que aparece en muchos de los temas. Es una pena que los músicos de acompañamiento no estén acreditados, y especialmente el guitarrista, porque su forma de tocar atraerá a aquellos que sean fans de Kenny Burrell y Wes Montgomery. En general, este LP no es tan bueno como los lados clásicos que hizo para King Records durante la década de 1950, pero aún así vale la pena darle una vuelta.

Tracklist A1 Honky Tonk Part I
A2 Canadian Sunset
A3 'Deed I Do
A4 All Souls Blues
A5 Buster
B1 Honky Tonk Part II
B2 Opus D
B3 St. Louis Blues
B4 Careless Love
B5 Mommy Part I

Label: Harmony ‎– HS 11237
Released: 1967
Genre: Jazz
Style: Soul-Jazz, Rhythm & Blues 

 

 

 

 

MORE Bill Doggett ...

 

This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive or device after reading it.
thank for the original uploader