Folk Music

If any group was going to name their disc Folk Music it had to be the Deep Blue Organ Trio. Their last two recordings all featured healthy doses of music for the folks, in the guise of pop tunes and jazz classics. Their originals are always compelling as well, giving folks yet another reason to listen. Folk Music is another disc in the same vein. Only this time, they've done it better.

The members of the Deep Blue Organ Trio make it easy to make good records. After all, when your group is made up of one of the most grooving drummers in Chicago, a guitarist that's played with a who's who of jazz "A-listers" and one of THE finest organists you'll hear anywhere, you're bound to pound out great music at will. All that's left is to put some great tunes on that record, and you'll be in good shape.

Well, that's precisely what they've done, again. I'll even go so far as to say that I think that this disc is an improvement over their last two, if only because this disc sounds so great from first track to last track. It sounds like they really had an idea from the git-go of what they wanted the disc to sound like. While this disc doesn't have as much pop music content as their first studio album, Deep Blue Bruise, it has familiarity on its side. Everyone will know "Never Knew Love Like This Before", the Beatles' classic "She's Leaving Home" and "I Thought About You". Jazz fans will love the versions of "Ceora", "The Chant" and "This I Dig of You". There's only one original on the album, a Chris Foreman tune called "A Deeper Blue", but what an album opener! It opens an organ album the way an organ album SHOULD be opened... with a solid groove that leaves you wanting more! The tempos rarely burn on this disc, but they smolder nicely. Besides being a disc of nice songs, this is truly a well planned album that can be listened to first tune to last tune.

In other words, Deep Blue really nailed it this time. If you're looking for a great organ jazz album that does what organ jazz albums are supposed to do -- groove mightily -- then Folk Music is highly recommended!