Artist: Jackie Davis
LP: Hi-Fi Hammond
Jackie Davis is my favorite of the organ-players I've collected from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Not only is his fingerwork pretty darn fancy, but he does some spectacular work with the Hammond's volume pedal to create interesting rhythmic effects and exciting dynamics. You can read all about Jackie Davis in the liner notes I've included below from his 1960 "Hi-Fi Hammond" LP and on the Jackie Davis website here, where you'll find his discography, more photos and music samples, an interview with Jackie Davis and lots of other great things.
JACKIE DAVIS AT THE HAMMOND makes bright,
inventive, and melodious music. Here's the master
of the electric organ in remarkable Hi-Fi performances.
"Man," says Jackie Davis. "I feel like I'm playing an orchestra!"
And anyone listening can readily understand. A Hammond
electric organ is, technically speaking, nothing more than
a Hammond electric organ. But with Jackie Davis at the
keyboard, many unusual, sweet-sounding and
full-swinging things begin to happen.
This talented fellow has turned its sound into something
considerably more than background music for cocktail-
bar glass-clinking. He has a rare sense of dynamics, unfolding
the organ to its full orchestral richness or paring it down to
a delicate solo quality that can duet gracefully with a guitar.
And in addition to his technical mastery, Jackie Davis has
succeeded in developing a very legitimate and solid jazz
style on what is essentially a non-jazz instrument.
Jackie's interest in music started when he was still a young
boy. Enchanted with his grandmother's piano, he spent hours
solving the mysteries of "Chopsticks." By the time he was
eleven, Jackie had forty-five dollars, lots of talent and
unlimited determination. So he spent the money on his
first piano. From then on, when he wasn't playing, he
was listening. And much of his listening was centered
around Art Tatum. He idolized the master, but couldn't
help thinking to himself, "If he can do that much with
a piano—wow—what he could do with an organ!"
Comparatively speaking, the piano had such limitations;
for Jackie had found out that an organ had some two
million potential sounds. (As of today Jackie figures he's
still on his first million, but he's young yet and
doesn't tire easily.)
Graduating from Florida A & M with a B.A. degree in music,
Jackie became an accompanist for Billy Daniels, Nat Cole, Ella
Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan—a sort of
postgraduate course in the fine art of how to interpret a song.
Then came the war and the Army, and afterwards Jackie
returned to his professional career, playing singles, and being
a part of various vocal and instrumental groups. But his eye
was still on the goal of making a name as an organist. In
1951 he bought his first Hammond and shortly after opened
at the Club Harlem in Philadelphia. His engagement lasted
twenty weeks and set up Jackie Davis as a new attraction
for night spots and theaters everywhere.
During these past few years Jackie has been a busy boy,
criss-crossing the country to plya his engagements, pausing
periodically to make records, and never ceasing to develop
his own artistry on the electric organ.
In this, his first album for Capitol, Jackie's splended sounds
are recorded in High Fidelity. But there's still another kind
of high fidelity that's caught in the record—Jackie's discriminating
taste in material and his easy ability to handle everything from
sweet and lovely to good-humored and swinging. Here are
the melodies of Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Harry Warren and
other topflight popular composers. To each Jackie gives
his special attention, his special interpretation.
Complementing Jackie and his organ are the substantial
rhythmic contributions of Ernest L. (Fats) Clark on drums
and the guitar etchings of Irving Ashby.
[ Jackie Davis: December 13, 1920 — November 15, 1999 ]
inventive, and melodious music. Here's the master
of the electric organ in remarkable Hi-Fi performances.
"Man," says Jackie Davis. "I feel like I'm playing an orchestra!"
And anyone listening can readily understand. A Hammond
electric organ is, technically speaking, nothing more than
a Hammond electric organ. But with Jackie Davis at the
keyboard, many unusual, sweet-sounding and
full-swinging things begin to happen.
This talented fellow has turned its sound into something
considerably more than background music for cocktail-
bar glass-clinking. He has a rare sense of dynamics, unfolding
the organ to its full orchestral richness or paring it down to
a delicate solo quality that can duet gracefully with a guitar.
And in addition to his technical mastery, Jackie Davis has
succeeded in developing a very legitimate and solid jazz
style on what is essentially a non-jazz instrument.
Jackie's interest in music started when he was still a young
boy. Enchanted with his grandmother's piano, he spent hours
solving the mysteries of "Chopsticks." By the time he was
eleven, Jackie had forty-five dollars, lots of talent and
unlimited determination. So he spent the money on his
first piano. From then on, when he wasn't playing, he
was listening. And much of his listening was centered
around Art Tatum. He idolized the master, but couldn't
help thinking to himself, "If he can do that much with
a piano—wow—what he could do with an organ!"
Comparatively speaking, the piano had such limitations;
for Jackie had found out that an organ had some two
million potential sounds. (As of today Jackie figures he's
still on his first million, but he's young yet and
doesn't tire easily.)
Graduating from Florida A & M with a B.A. degree in music,
Jackie became an accompanist for Billy Daniels, Nat Cole, Ella
Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan—a sort of
postgraduate course in the fine art of how to interpret a song.
Then came the war and the Army, and afterwards Jackie
returned to his professional career, playing singles, and being
a part of various vocal and instrumental groups. But his eye
was still on the goal of making a name as an organist. In
1951 he bought his first Hammond and shortly after opened
at the Club Harlem in Philadelphia. His engagement lasted
twenty weeks and set up Jackie Davis as a new attraction
for night spots and theaters everywhere.
During these past few years Jackie has been a busy boy,
criss-crossing the country to plya his engagements, pausing
periodically to make records, and never ceasing to develop
his own artistry on the electric organ.
In this, his first album for Capitol, Jackie's splended sounds
are recorded in High Fidelity. But there's still another kind
of high fidelity that's caught in the record—Jackie's discriminating
taste in material and his easy ability to handle everything from
sweet and lovely to good-humored and swinging. Here are
the melodies of Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Harry Warren and
other topflight popular composers. To each Jackie gives
his special attention, his special interpretation.
Complementing Jackie and his organ are the substantial
rhythmic contributions of Ernest L. (Fats) Clark on drums
and the guitar etchings of Irving Ashby.
[ Jackie Davis: December 13, 1920 — November 15, 1999 ] 
1 comment:
My mom is a friend of "Fats" Clark, the drummer on these recordings....Is there any information on him???
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