About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

Philadelphia jazz singer Lou Lanza had an excellent point when he asserted that jazz improvisers who ignore rock and R&B songs "are cutting themselves off from a lot of worthwhile material." Lanza wasn't suggesting that jazz artists should totally give up the Tin Pan Alley standards they've been performing all these years -- actually, he's done plenty of Cole Porter and Irving Berlin gems himself -- but he was saying that if you're going to use popular songs as vehicles for jazz expression, there is no reason not to interpret Sting, Billy Joel or Prince along with Harry Warren and George Gershwin. And if Deep Blue Bruise is any indication, the members of the Deep Blue Organ Trio -- leader/organist Chris Foreman, guitarist Bobby Broom and drummer Greg Rockingham -- feel the same way. While Deep Blue Bruise is definitely an album of instrumental jazz, only a few of the songs on this soul-jazz/hard bop/post-bop disc were actually written as jazz instrumentals. Joe Henderson's "Granted" and Broom's exuberant title track were jazz instrumentals from birth, but most of the songs on this 2004 date started out in popular music -- and that is true of "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and "These Foolish Things" (both from Tin Pan Alley) as well as Prince's "Raspberry Beret," the Doors' "Light My Fire" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Can't Hide Love." What the Deep Blue Organ Trio does to these songs isn't smooth jazz or NAC music; this is a passionate, hard-swinging organ combo in the Jimmy Smith/Richard "Groove" Holmes/Shirley Scott/Jack McDuff tradition, and a real improviser's mentality prevails whether the Chicago threesome is tackling Ervin Drake's "It Was a Very Good Year" or the Isaac Hayes tune "Café Regio's." Although not innovative by 21st century standards, Deep Blue Bruise is a satisfying, noteworthy effort that die-hard Hammond B-3 enthusiasts will appreciate. Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

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