After Joey DeFrancesco's Hammond B-3 organ became a favorite with a new generation of soul-jazz fans in the '90s, part of the spotlight fell on Joey's teacher -- his father, "Papa" John.
Papa, it turns out, had been jamming away in local Philadelphia clubs since the original soul-jazz boom in the '60s. He just never recorded. After taking time out to manage his son's career, Papa John finally got back to what he liked best -- digging into the Hammond B-3. His latest release is "Jumpin' " a collection of tasty, late-night blues and earthy, soulful grooves.
When Papa John was coming up in the late '60s, Philadelphia was the capital of soul jazz. The city was crowded with B-3 masters such as Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Charles Earland and Jimmy McGriff, to name just a few. Each had his own style, ranging from hard bop to blues, soul, even modal jazz, inspired by a young sax player who cut his teeth in local Philly clubs -- John Coltrane. Influenced in part by all these players, Papa John's music keeps their original flavor intact.