'Papa' John DeFrancesco - A Philadelphia Story - Jazz Organ

'A Philadelphia Story' is smoking B-3 jazz organ with kick, swagger, and funky butt grooves. It marks the welcome return of a master jazzman.

Track Listing:
01. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (7:09)
02. Strange Brew (6:03)
03. By The Time I Get To Phoenix (7:24)
04. The Thang (3:19)
05. It's Your Thing (6:42)
06. You Are My Sunshine (5:14)
07. Dr. Mike (4:56)
08. Blues In The Closet (5:31)
09. A Philadelphia Story (5:11)

Total Time: 51:28


Personnel: 
'Papa' John DeFrancesco (Hammond B-3 organ)
John Defrancesco Jr. (guitar)
Glenn Ferracone (drums)

Joey DeFrancesco (trumpet, tracks 1 and 3)
Joe Fortunato (tenor sax, track 8)

Produced by John DeFrancesco, Jr.
Engineered and mastered by Glenn Ferracone

Recording location: The Music Centre, Exton, PA, July 28 2010

Savant Records, 2011

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Review:

In the 1990s, Papa John DeFrancesco revived his career after a long hiatus to oversee the musical development of his son Joey. At that time he began not only playing in public again but recording for Highnote and Savant, too. That said, he's been known to take long breaks: six years off between 1995 and 2001, and, after recording regularly between then and 2006, another half decade. A Philadelphia Story marks his return. The time off hasn't blunted Papa John's chops, however. Despite the fact that he lives in Arizona these days, DeFrancesco's music is pure, gritty Philly soul-jazz. 

Here he's joined by his other son, the guitar-slinging John Jr., and drummer Glenn Ferracone. The program is a smoking collection of soul, funk, jazz, and standards with a pair of originals tossed in. 

The set kicks off with a finger-popping reading of 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone'. John Jr.'s razor-sharp funk creates the groove while Papa comps and adds smoldering undertones to Ferracone's stellar breaks (which are ever-present on the album). Son Joey makes one of two guest appearances with a boppish trumpet solo to close it out. A spine-slipping gutbucket version of Cream's 'Strange Brew' follows. It's in-the-pocket, bluesed-out soul-jazz, with stinging though economical guitar fills. Papa's solo is strong, and full of twists and turns. Joey returns on a lovely, elegant, and understated reading of 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix', the most lyrical thing here. Lou Donaldson's hard bopping 'The Thang' gets fine treatment, with a twinned guitar/B-3 head. It's brief, yet features rhythmically taut arpeggios by John Jr. and a ripping solo by Papa. The Isley Brothers' 'It's Your Thing' really shows off Papa's own deep soul-jazz chops. He turns this one inside out and follows it with a complete harmonic re-visioning of 'You Are My Sunshine'. John Jr. does his best Wes Montgomery as he and Papa trade fours on the tune. Saxophonist Joe Fortunato guests on Oscar Pettiford's 'Blues in the Closet'. A straight-up hard bop blues. The closing title track moves ever deeper into that terrain. Papa's organ solo shines brightly in the tune's moody darkness and is a real highlight on the set. 

Any way you cut it, A Philadelphia Story is smoking B-3 jazz with kick, swagger, and funky butt grooves. It marks the welcome return of a master jazzman.
- Thom Jurek


'The Papa John-penned title track that wraps things up is a standard slow blues showcasing the younger John's fine guitar work'.

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Biography:

'Papa' John DeFrancesco (born September 12, 1940) is an American jazz organist and vocalist, and father of Joey DeFrancesco and Johnny DeFrancesco.

He is the son of a remarkable Sicilian-born musician, Joe DeFrancesco, who was a member of the Dorsey Brothers swing band. His son, Joey, is a world-renowned jazz organist and former member of Miles Davis' band.

'Papa' John began playing the Hammond organ in the Buffalo, New York area in 1959 after seeing Jimmy Smith. He later made the acquaintance of several prominent jazz artists, notably jazz organist Jack McDuff, singer–band leader Cab Calloway, and another newcomer to the Hammond B-3, Dr. Lonnie Smith. DeFrancesco would later move to Philadelphia and become a key player in the Philadelphia jazz scene.

In 1979 when Joey turned eight and started playing professionally, John temporarily gave up his career so as to supervise his son. Another son, Johnny DeFrancesco, developed into a fine guitarist. In the 1990s, John DeFrancesco returned to a more active playing career.

He currently lives in Maricopa, Arizona and gigs regularly in Phoenix.

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'Papa' quote:
'I was about 19 when I first saw Jimmy Smith. And when I heard the organ, man, I was done!'

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MP3 Format 320 kbit/s. All songs are tagged by the book.

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