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. I can't think of many instances where two great organ players came together on the same stage, but these two burn the studio down with their high energy performances.

Joey DeFrancesco – Born in Philadelphia in 1971, the son of a Hammond B3 organ-playing father ("Papa" John DeFrancesco), Joey DeFrancesco grew up learning to play both Hammond and trumpet, a versatility featured both in live performance and on his recordings.  He has recorded since the 1980s and gained worldwide prominence when he toured with John McLaughlin's Free Spirits in the mid-1990s.  Joey’s no-nonsense, unpretentious, good-time music is always rousing and uplifting, and among the current crop of B3 torchbearers, he stands as a virtuoso.  Check out www.joeydefrancesco.com for more information.

Dr. Lonnie Smith – Dr. Lonnie Smith is internationally known as both a dominant talent and a pace-setting proponent of the Hammond B3 organ.  Lonnie was named Organ Keyboardist of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by the Jazz Journalists Association.  After recording several albums with George Benson, Lonnie became a solo recording artist and since has produced more than 30 albums.  He has performed at the major world jazz festivals and has performed and/or recorded with such legendary artists as Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Etta James. Check out www.drlonniesmith.com for more information.