The Killer B's
Guests: Joey DeFrancesco & Dr. Lonnie Smith. In this episode we celebrate the world renowned Hammond B3 organ's role in jazz, and take a look back at the legends who helped take the B3 out of the church and auditorium and into the smoky clubs, roadhouses and recording studios where it gained its fame. Joey DeFrancesco (a former B3 prodigy who made his debut recording at the tender age of 18) talks about his relationship with the B3, and with the instrument's most famous proponent, the late great Jimmy Smith. Dr. Lonnie Smith, a giant of the B3 since the 1960s, discusses those legendary days, while both artists talk about the part they have played in the current global renaissance the "Killer B" is enjoying. Joey and Lonnie perform individually and together in this high-energy episode. There are not many instances where two great organ players come together on the same stage. Joey DeFrancesco and Dr. Lonny Smith literally burn the studio down with their high energy performances.
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