Farewell To Old Friends – 1999

Barbara Dennerlein

The organist plays a lowdown blues

A major jazz organist, Barbara Dennerlein was born in Munich, Germany, played organ publicly from the time she was 14, has always been based in Europe although she has recorded with notable American jazz artists, and has led more than two dozen albums in her career.

She is well featured on a lowdown blues, leading a quartet with tenor-saxophonist Rick Keller, guitarist Russ Spiegel, and drummer Daniel Messina.

While Dennerlein became known for utilizing the sound of synthesizers in her playing, on this performance she sticks to the Hammond B-3 organ, showing why she has long been considered at the top of her field.

-Scott Yanow