Very Hot Stuff - Barbara Dennerlein on Hammond B3 Organ

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Seeing is believing. It looks impossible, but it's true, Barbara Dennerlein plays bass lines with her left foot that I couldn't play with my left hand.

Unlike many organists, she did not begin with piano. When she was 11 years old she began playing organ, including the use of the foot pedals. She took lessons for a year and a half from a teacher who played jazz himself. By the time she was 13 she was completely on her own in regard to her musical development.

Charlie Parker was her musical hero and biggest influence. While she respects Jimmy Smith's musicianship and his enormous contribution to jazz organ, she did not model her playing, sound, technique or musical approach after his.

Like Jimmy, she developed her own personal style and unmistakable sound. Her artistic sensibilities are closer to Larry Young than Jimmy Smith, but they are still very much her own.

In the 80's Jimmy Smith briefly moved from Hammond B3 to another make of organ, experimented with synthesizers and even played electric piano. In the 80's Barbara also began to experiment, but she took a different approach.

She integrated midi technology into her B3 keyboard and sampled an upright bass to give her bass pedals a more realistic sound.

This video is one small glimpse into her musical world, I hope you'll view the other clips on my channel, and enjoy clips by other great B3 players. My hope is that music is enjoyed as a celebration, and not a competition - it's art not sport.

Barbara Dennerlein, Hammond B3 Organ. Dennis Chambers, Drums. (Not shown on clip: Andy Sheppard, Sax, Mitch Watkins, Guitar.) Vienna, 1992

PS If anyone knows Rick Rubin, he should see this clip.

Seeing is believing.

Channel: Music
Uploaded: May 14, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Author: hans1970

Length: 00:05:05
Rating: 4.81
Views: 208069

Tags: Hammond b3 organ jazz Barbara Dennerlein keyboard Dennis Chambers blues bass pedals hot solo

Video Comments:
hawkeyesurfer (November 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm)
I thought Rick Wakeman was good. This woman is in a league of her own. Thanks for the post :)
DJHLimtz (November 13, 2008 at 5:39 am)
Hey, i forgot : she's as lovely as a spring day
!;)
JH L.
DJHLimtz (November 13, 2008 at 5:19 am)
Wao ! Elle ne perd pas les pedales,lol !
De plus elle se paye Denis Chambers,peuchere (ça , ça m'etonnerait relol !)
merci Jean Claude ;)
JH L.
knightporter100 (November 12, 2008 at 5:17 pm)
shes not only beautiful but shes so tallented too, i do love to listen to her so much......
Broaart (November 11, 2008 at 8:13 pm)
Get down with your bad self!
oporopolio (November 7, 2008 at 11:06 am)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuAAAA!!!
chilldave73 (November 7, 2008 at 6:00 am)
How is it even humanly possible to be THAT good?
Wow...
leto941 (October 31, 2008 at 7:27 pm)
no offense to dennis chambers playing but if your going to swing hard u better call on joey d francesco's drummers dennis has to be by all means one of the greatest drummers today when u need to swing it means everything
Guppypants (October 28, 2008 at 8:48 pm)
Now that's cookin!
Sabored (October 27, 2008 at 10:38 pm)
well obviously you'll get this good if you start playing organ at that age. most organists start off playing piano. I'm 13 and getting a vox super continental for Christmas. my parents promised me one since my $50 Yamaha has been owned. Hopefully i'll be this good at that age. I'm probably not gonna get the bass pedals til next Christmas though. and than I'm probably not gonna even get anything for Christmas after that for a long time because they're spending so much this Christmas.