Folk Music

Hipsters attuned to the wave of highbrow, dance-friendly grooves resurrected by modern Hammond B-3 trios such as Soulive and Medeski Martin and Wood may do very well to seek out some of the last old-school purveyors of organ-centered soul jazz: Chicago's Deep Blue Organ Trio can cite references on their collective resume that would span the likes of Miles Davis and Kenny Burrell; and on their latest, "Folk Music," the sound is as fresh as this morning's milk, while still maintaining the dustiness of something from the Impulse! Label.

As a whole the group is deeply in gratitude to genre-father Jimmy Smith, and while organist Chris Foreman is just as gracious with laying back and sharing the soloing spotlight, his playing itself is even more restrained and economical - Second City to the first degree. Guitarist Bobby Broom maintains the same taste and tone, trading licks or holding down the low end to get the party started - as he does on both "The Chant" and the Ohio Players' "Sweet Sticky Thing."

While the soulful-yet-prep-school vibe of both Soulive and MMW has now strayed from the tradition and into more experimental and commercial ventures; the vibe at the country's oldest jazz bar remains steadfastly pure - the storied Green Mill has for 4 years now allotted all Tuesday nights for some of the last pioneers of jazz's most overlooked sub-genre, who remain to riff and groove it up in their own hometown.