It’s been awhile since I’ve acknowledged the passing of any musicians. Honestly, after 2020 I was burned out. It seemed like everyone who was anyone was headed for higher ground. I can’t blame them after living in this clown show as long as they did; however, I selfishly wanted them to continue to perform just so I could enjoy the music. Maybe in some way it gave me hope. Well here we are again at the foot of the abyss, looking into the depths of darkness as we salute the one, the only, the baddest B-3 organist (formerly) on the planet, Joey Defrancesco, who recently passed much too early at the young age of 51. I can’t tell the reader just how many hours of pure joy and pleasure listening to Joey’s playing has given me, not to the mention insights into jazz and blues. It is with a heavy heart and a massive amount of respect that I bid Mr. Defrancesco farewell and good luck out there in the cosmos, where ever he may end up. R.I.P. Joey D!

I’m not going to go all wikipedia here and recount his storied life. I would just say that he hails from a strong lineage of musicians and incredibly was much more than just an insane B-3 player. I couldn’t believe how talented he was on both trumpet and saxophone, not to mention his fun, light-hearted vocal style. His works speak for themselves and his playing is one of a kind. I encourage the reader to both google and youtube search this great player to learn more on their own time. It will be well worth the effort and a must add to any jazz aficianado’s collection.

Instead, I’m going to go way back to the first time that I was able to see Joey live and in the flesh, circa 1999. I can’t believe that this was almost 25 years ago. There was a local dive bar turned jazz club called “Herb’s”. I used to frequent there long before I was of age to see some of Denver’s legends and then some. It was a really nondescript type of joint. One long bar with bars stools (much like a diner) adorned the room with quaint little booths on the other side joined by a small room with tables and chairs (think cocktail style) adjacent to a little stage. The back walls had mirrors and the place was always a little dark and seedy. At full capacity, this place probably held a hundred people and that would be SRO. As well known as a “jazz club” as it was back in the day, it was still in a shitty part of town, at least back then.

I was just coming up as a player and had a monthly weekend rotation with a funky jazz group that shall remain unnamed (to protect the innocent!) It was always smoky and I can remember my clothes and my gear smelling like an ashtray for days after a performance. The acoustics were terrible. I mean this really wasn’t a “jazz club” per se; it was more like an old dive bar that featured great music. However, the list of who’s who in Denver at the time that frequently performed at Herb’s was only rivaled by one other club, El Chapultapec. I suppose that most importantly, the vibe was what counted and Herb’s had plenty of that. It really felt the part, even if it didn’t necessarily look it.

One of the shows that I had the fortune of seeing was a real live organ “duel”, featuring local legend Pat Bianchi, a drummer (who I can’t remember at this time) and of course the mighty Joey D. Having an in at the club helped, because there weren’t many tickets available–it was sold out as soon as people found out it was happening. Let’s be honest, it’s rare to see a musician like Joey Defrancesco in such an informal, intimate setting outside of a big city like NYC. At the time it seemed normal to me to witness such an event, but looking back really adds to the value.

Both organists were setup in the back corner of the room with the drummer nestled tightly in the middle. For people who have never looked into the B-3 organ, it is a wonder of nature. There are three tiers of keys, along with numerous levers on the top that control various features of the organ sound and timbre. There are also some cool analog affects like tremelo, autowow, modulation and the like. Mostly though, the “stops” control the amount of added harmonic tones to the keyboard notes, which allow the player to really customize and create dynamic variation to the sound. Additionally, the bottom of the organ has a full bass note setup that mimics the piano keys, but is playable with feet. Many players bypass this today as it seems to be an old school skill; however, it really gave the true B-3 player all the goods needed to perform an entire composition by themselves. To see a skilled B-3 organist in action is really a thing of beauty.

Of course, both Joey and Pat were pros in their own right. They both had full command of the instrument and it was easy for the listener to hear the skill oozing from every note played. As great as Pat could play, Joey seemed to always be able to one up him and would occasionally sent a cursory wink over to Pat to let him know, “you sound great kid, but now listen to the master”. Joey also had the upper hand with regard to his bass playing. Playing the organ with both hands is difficult enough. There are multiple poly-rhythms going on between left and right hands and it really is almost schizophrenic in the way one hand is playing something completely different melodically and rhythmically from the other. Now imagine adding in a full walking bass line to the mix with your feet! And not just walking a simple I-IV-V progression but a more complicated harmonic structure vis a vis Giant Steps or something of that nature. Joey never missed a note! This is a testament to just how good of a total B-3 player he was.

Back and forth the two went with an occasional drum solo in between. Every time Pat would throw down something amazing, Joey would come back with even more fire and ferocity in his playing. It was clear about mid way through that Joey was winning every round, effortlessly. However, the coup de tat came somewhere near the end of the show. It was during one of Joey’s solos that I kept hearing a sustained note in the background in addition to the normal left hand harmony chords, right hand melody and bass line.

I couldn’t figure out what it was. I mean, I wasn’t that far from the stage but how could this third note/sound be emanating from the keyboard? Did Joey have an extra hand? An extra foot? What was going on? And then I saw it–the nose! Joey had his right hand on the top keys furiously jamming out a melody line, his left hand on the bottom tier holding down the chord progression, his feet rolling through an incredible walking bass line and his nose (yes, his nose!) pressed down on a note in the middle keyboard all at the same time. Maybe this was some kind of parlor trick but I had never seen anything like that. I had to chuckle to myself just how cool Joey Defrancesco was. I think I remember Pat smiling too. Joey D. was just that unique and incredible. It will be tough to top this kind of skill and sheer mastery of the B-3 organ for any player in the future.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Such a great memory. It always gives me a laugh when I think back to that moment in time and I hope it continues to for a long, long time. As a player, a music listener, a jazz fan and someone who appreciates great talent, I can tell you that Joey Defrancesco was quite the special being to inhabit this planet. A rare bird that flew way above his peers with ease in a cool, nonchalant manner. We’ll miss you, my musical brother. I hope the heavens are happy to welcome you–they could probably use some great jazz blues music in the backgroun. R.I.P. Joey Defrancesco!