Darren Heinrich Trio
New Vintage Tunes for Hammond Organ
(Independent)
Rating: ****
After the popularity of the Hammond organ in the 1950s and 1960s, the instrument mostly receded from jazz until its reappearance in the 1990s. Sydney organist/composer Darren Heinrich keeps the traditional trio format of organ, guitar and drums for his debut album of original compositions.
The tunes vary, from the relaxed ballad I Don’t Know, through bluesy pieces like Slinky to the bop influences of Easy Autumn. Heinrich uses two different trios here, firstly with guitarist Steve Brien and drummer Andrew Dickeson. They open proceedings with Lunar featuring an empathetic guitar solo and ensemble work while Heinrich’s solo strides out powerfully, adding that characteristic Hammond wail from upper register chords.
Simon Relf on guitar and drummer Tim Firth comprise the second trio playing some smart guitar/organ unison passages on Hicksville where energetic drumming underscores the final theme. The many Hammond fans will welcome this CD with its satisfying performances of impressive compositions.
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This review first appeared in The Weekend Australian and is republished with permission.
