Corpses On Parade!

The number of famous people dying recently has been on the upswing. Of course there's Bo, who I spotlit in the previous post, and film cat Sydney Pollack, and the screamingly funny Harvey Korman, Yves St Laurent, Dick Martin of "Laugh-In" fame (how else might you know who I was talking about?) and Mel "yeah, I nailed Audrey Hepburn" Ferrer. But there's also Jimmy McGriff.

People occasionally confused Jimmy McGriff with Jimmy Smith; both were masters of the Hammond B3 organ, also they were childhood pals, but that wasn't the cause for confusion. It was the Jimmy/organ thing. This also happened with Lonnie 'Liston' Smith & 'Dr.' Lonnie Smith, also both jazzbos! And both keyboard players!! (while 'Liston' is strictly piano, the Dr. is strictly Hammond B3) (also I don't believe these last two were kidpals). True story: once in a record shop I inquired of the store manager about a certain lp by Charlie Parker, and she (who, by the way, was very VERY keen on the then-just-released lp "Boy" by U2 - haw haw haw!!) replied, "oh yeah, ol' Charlie Bird". And of course I immediately corrected her with "no, it's Charlie PARKER." She thought I was just being smarmy, but in actuality there IS a jazz guitarist named Charlie BYRD, and unless you spelled it out how would you know the difference in a conversation. They are NOWHERES NEAR similarityville. Just connected by the slightest thread of jazz-ism. (ps - Byrd is yawnsville IMHO, while Bird is god). Yeah, this is the same person that told a customer over the phone to come in & ask for her: "I'll be wearing black. I ALWAYS wear black." Whadda simp! So Jazz can be confusing, I guess.

So anyway, McGriff had a smokin' actual HIT with a two-part instro version of Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman" in about 1962. It is danceable, has a great beat, and just kicks right down the line. He also had another not-quite-so-big notable called "All About My Gal".

That was it for hits. He played with David "Fathead" Newman, Junior Parker, Buddy Rich, and even Dr Lonnie Smith!! He recorded a bunch of stuff that in recent years have become valuable to those who search out the rare groove/jazz breakbeat stuff from the 60s & 70s. Hey, it's groove-heavy B3, how can you go wrong?

So heaven must be a groovy place today, what with Bo Diddley's beat & Jimmy McGriff's groove, and Harvey Korman frugging in a dress at one of them Laugh-in type parties hosted by Dick Martin.