Home » Jazz Musicians » organissimo

organissimo

Organist Jim Alfredson and guitarist Joe Gloss originally met at Michigan State University in 1997. Together they co-lead various groups. In early November of 2000 organissimo was born after teaming up with drummer Randy Marsh. His experience as an organ drummer and leadership served as the last piece of the puzzle. In the years since, organissimo has had an influence on other organ groups and is recognized as one of the premiere organ-based trios worldwide. In 2010 guitarist Joe Gloss left to pursue a career in the medical field and was replaced by young Detroit guitarist Ralph Tope, whose soulful contribution can be heard on "Dedicated", the latest CD release. Because of an increasingly busy schedule Ralph Tope left and was replaced in 2012 by their current guitarist Larry Barris, a prolific and funky addition, also from Detroit. organissimo's consistent goal over the last 14 years and into the future is to venture beyond the tradition of the classic organ-led combos of the 1960s into the post modern age, building upon the great foundation laid by the past masters, but incorporating contemporary elements. organissimo's focus is on original material and cultivating a unique group sound. All three members contribute equally and bring their diverse musical tastes to the band, producing a multi-layered whole. organissimo's music has received numerous local and national awards, including a 2003 WYCE Jammy Award for Best Jazz Album for their CD "Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters..." (PKO Records 020). The CD was also named one of the best releases of 2003 by Jim Wilke's Jazz After Hours program, syndicated on over 60 NPR stations nationwide. organissimo has performed at many venues and festivals across the country including the famous Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, Chris's Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia, The Green Mill in Chicago, For The Music Only in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Cliff Bells in Detroit, The Dirty Dog in Grosse pointe, the 2003 Clearwater Jazz Holiday, the 2005 Idlewild Music Festival, the 2006 Chicago Jazz Festival, the 2006 and 2007 Detroit International Jazz Festivals, the 2006 Syracuse Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival in 2009, and the 2014 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. In February 2007 they were invited to appear at the Tel-aviv Jazz Festival in Israel and received an enthusiastic standing ovation at the end of a riveting performance.

Awards

- 2003 WYCE Jammie Award for Best Jazz Album "Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters..." - 2003 Best Releases of 2003 by Jim Wilke's Jazz After Hours Program (syndicated on 60 stations nationwide). - 2005 WYCE Jammie Awards for Best Jazz Album and Album of the Year "This Is The Place" - 2005 Best Releases of 2005 by Jim Wilke 's Jazz After Hours program in Seattle (syndicated on over 60 NPR stations nationwide), WHRV in Virginia Beach, WBEZ in Chicago, WVIA-FM in Pittston PA, WBLV Blue Lake Public Radio, WLNZ in Lansing, WEMU in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, KXJS in Sacramento, WYCE in Grand Rapids, Jazz 90.1 in Rochester NY, Real Detroit Weekly Magazine, the Detroit Metro Times, and the Lansing City Pulse - 2005 Detroit Music Award nominee for Best Jazz Album - 2014 "Dedicated" won WYCE Jammie Awards for 'Best Jazz Album' and the 'Album of the Year'.

Gear

Hammond XK3 / XK System, Leslie 3300, Yamaha Motif ES Rack, Moog Voyager Signature Edition, Stromberg Monterey & Wechter Pathmaker guitars


Tags

4
Bailey's Bundles

Blue Beatles – Mick Kolassa / Mark Telesca And Organissimo

Read "Blue Beatles – Mick Kolassa / Mark Telesca And Organissimo" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


The Beatles songbook has been coming into blues and jazz focus over the last decade as evidenced in the recordings The Blues White Album (Telarc, 2003) and Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings The Beatles (Summit Records, 2003). Two recent records pop to the surface reprising this interest. Mick Kolassa & Mark Telesca You Can't Do That!--Acoustic Beatles Blues Swing Suit Records 2017 The Beatles songbook is a hard sell ...

269
Album Review

Organissimo: Alive & Kickin'

Read "Alive & Kickin'" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


The title of Organissimo's first live recording, Alive & Kickin', is a great description of how a guitar/organ trio live record should sound. Just about everything on this set comes homegrown by this Michigan trio: organ player Jim Alfredson met guitarist Joe Gloss in a Michigan State University (MSU) jazz class; the duo eventually became a trio completed by drummer Randy Marsh, whose experience playing for organists Jimmy Smith and Shirley Scott proved invaluable to the band's soulful yet freestyle ...

497
Album Review

organissimo: Groovadelphia

Read "Groovadelphia" reviewed by Jay Deshpande


For a testament to what a trio can accomplish when they spend years working together, look no farther than organissimo. Over the course of nearly a decade, organist Jim Alfredson, guitarist Joe Gloss and drummer Randy Marsh have developed strong group instincts and a knowing way of approaching every groove. As a result, Groovadelphia can keep heads bopping for quite some time.

“Senor Buffet" shows off the best of the band. Marsh drives an exciting Latin groove into a swing ...

366
Album Review

Organissimo: This Is The Place

Read "This Is The Place" reviewed by Stephen Latessa


It shouldn't come as a surprise that Organissimo has struck a chord with the music buying public. Pouring the hot butter richness of a Hammond B3 over a funky backbeat with a side of tart and tasty guitar, the group's sound is damn near irresistible. With This Is The Place, the trio has overcome the dreaded sophomore slump by maintaining and consolidating the success of Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters...

The slow gospel stroll of “Brother Ray is ...

731
Bailey's Bundles

Organism: The Jazz Organ Renaissance

Read "Organism: The Jazz Organ Renaissance" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


There has been in the last number of years a Renaissance of sorts for the jazz organ. Sam Yahel, Peter Goldstein, and Tony Monaco, all have made their mark in the jazz organ arena. The road pioneered by Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, and Dr. Lonnie Smith has been given way to Medeski, Martin, and Wood and Soullive. Submitted for your approval are several recent organ jazz offerings, some greasy, some wholesome. Mike Kennedy

273
Album Review

Organissimo: Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters

Read "Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Organissimo injects their unique brand of organ trio music with a shot of James Brown. Drummer Randy Marsh, more often that not, lays down a greasy funk, supported by organist Jim Alfredson's pedals--more like a Friday Night fish fry than chicken and ribs by the river. Guitarist Joe Gloss applies a sheen of respectability to this grease before he turns up the calories and really sends the funk into overdrive. And this is all before you get beyond the opener, ...

Read more articles
79

Recording

New CD ("Alive & Kickin'") & DVD Due from Organissimo April 6

New CD ("Alive & Kickin'") & DVD Due from Organissimo April 6

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

In the ten years since its formation, organissimo has cultivated a unique soul-jazz brew that's won them legions of fans by virtue of their three popular studio CDs and a regular performance schedule. Now the Michigan band plans to serve up double helpings of their innovative organ trio sounds by releasing their first live CD--Alive & Kickin'--and first DVD--Backstage Pass. Both discs are due April 6 from the trio's Big O Records. The CD “fills a long-lamented gap," writes CD ...

94

Recording

Organissimo Releases "Groovadelphia"

Organissimo Releases "Groovadelphia"

Source: All About Jazz

Groovadelphia, organissimo's first CD since 2005's This Is The Place, finds the band deftly refining and expanding its signature sound while extending the tradition of the organ-based trio. Featuring eight original songs and one penned by drummer Randy Marsh's father, acclaimed tenor saxophonist Arno Marsh, this new CD opens with the title track, “Groovadelphia," a tribute to organissimo's “home away from home" on the East Coast. The mood stays traditional with the spicy samba of “Seor Buffet" followed by the ...

88

Performance / Tour

Organissimo @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art on January 19, 2007

Organissimo @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art on January 19, 2007

Source: All About Jazz

Organissimo's goal is to extend the tradition of the classic organ-led combos of the 1960s into the modern age. Buildling upon the great foundation laid by the past masters, but incorporating modern elements, organissimo's focus is on original material and cultivating a unique group sound. All three members contribute equally and bring their diverse musical tastes to the band, producing a multi-layered whole.

ORGANISSIMO Jim Alfredson - organ Joe Gloss - guitar Randy Marsh ...

118

Recording

Organissimo's "This Is The Place" Receives Extensive National Airplay

Organissimo's "This Is The Place" Receives Extensive National Airplay

Source: All About Jazz

This Is The Place, Organissimo’s Much-Anticipated 2nd CD, Already Receiving Extensive National Airplay 2 Weeks After August 8th Release

Album Was Highest Debuting CD On Both Mainstream & College Jazz Charts

Lansing, MI – organissimo is proud to announce the August 8th release of its second full-length studio album, This Is The Place (Big O Records 2404) which further refines the trio’s signature sound that made its debut in 2003 on the award-winning album Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters… (PKO ...

75

Recording

Organissimo Releases Highly Anticipated Second Album - This Is The Place

Organissimo Releases Highly Anticipated Second Album - This Is The Place

Source: All About Jazz

Lansing, MI – Hot on the heels of their award-winning debut CD (Waiting For The Boogaloo Sisters… PKO Records 020) organissimo is proud to announce the release of their second full length studio album, This Is The Place on Big O Records.

This Is The Place continues organissimo’s development of original ensemble material and further refinement of their signature sound. It features eight brand new original songs as well as a lilting latin re-interpretation of the standard “Tenderly” and Frank ...

"While this band is more than willing to play funk like any organ trio should, it's willing to do it quietly, sneakily getting feet to start tapping instead of hitting you over the head with one chord vamps meant strictly for the dance floor. It's also willing to switch gears fairly regularly, keeping the listener engaged with dynamic shifts, subtle tempo changes and interesting harmonic ideas thrown into the stew as well." ~ Chicago Jazz Magazine, Nov. 2005 "organissimo invigorate[s] the organ trio tradition with fresh takes on the genre... eclectic... classic... inventive..

Read more

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Dedicated

Big O Records
2013

buy

Alive & Kickin'

Big O Records
2010

buy

Groovadelphia

Big O Records
2009

buy

This Is The Place

Big O Records
2005

buy

Waiting For The...

PKO Records
2003

buy

Waiting For The...

Big O Records
0

buy

Decoder

From: Waiting For The Boogaloo...
By organissimo

Pumpkin Pie

From: This Is The Place
By organissimo

Videos

Similar

Jimmy Smith
organ, Hammond B3
Dr. Lonnie Smith
organ, Hammond B3
Jimmy McGriff
organ, Hammond B3
Larry Young
organ, Hammond B3
Charles Earland
organ, Hammond B3
Joey DeFrancesco
organ, Hammond B3
Johnny "Hammond" Smith
organ, Hammond B3
Wild Bill Davis
organ, Hammond B3
Linda Dachtyl
organ, Hammond B3
Jack McDuff
organ, Hammond B3
Greyboy Allstars
band / ensemble / orchestra
Reuben Wilson
organ, Hammond B3
Don Patterson
organ, Hammond B3

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.