Doodlin' Records
2009
Finger Poppin': Celebrating The Music Of Horace Silver
About This Album
As Joey DeFrancesco has switched from the standard Hammond B-3 to the Diversi clone organ, you'd hardly notice how the subtle differences in each instrument affect his playing style. However, this recording reflects a very rich, warm feeling manifested not only in his approach, but via the music he is playing -- a celebration of songs written by Horace Silver. Tom Harrell (former bandmate of Silver, exclusively on the flügelhorn) and Tim Warfield (tenor sax only) were recruited to keep the embers glowing but not flaming on, while longtime DeFrancesco drummer Byron Landham also utilizes the utmost of restraint and taste. This is not the fiery Horace Silver sound stoked by drummer Roy Brooks, but a respectful tribute to Silver's bands, with several well-chosen old favorites and two discernible off the beaten path selections. DeFrancesco's secondary role in the background is telling on classic tracks like "Strollin'," with its naturally easygoing mood supporting Warfield's deliberate, overly careful phrasings, or the sly, slow groove of "The Jody Grind," where a bit of imperfection crops up in the main melody line. Similarly imprecise is the rushed version of the title track, a bit too fast in hard bop fashion.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,4,7 and 8)

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