The Jazz Organ Scene

USA

Sam Yahel One of the more distinctive voices among a new breed of Hammond B-3 organ players on the jazz scene, Sam Yahel has earned the top spot in Down Beat's annual International Critics Poll as a Talent Deserving Of Recognition for the past four consecutive years. Since moving to New York in 1990, Yahel has worked with a string of notable jazz artists including tenor saxophonists Joshua Redman and Eric Alexander, former James Brown sideman and alto sax great Maceo Parker, guitarists Peter Bernstein and Bill Frisell, trumpeters Ryan Kisor and Jim Rotondi as well as having played on Norah Jones' Grammy-winning Come Away With Me as well as on recordings vocalists Lizz Wright and Madeleine Peyroux. But it has been as a solo artist in his own right that Yahel has made his most personal statements as both composer and player.   Originally a pianist, Yahel had his organ epiphany back in 1990 while studying jazz at the New School. As he recalls: "A friend of mine needed to rent an organ for an upcoming gig and he invited me to come down to SIR studios to tag along while he picked one out. Up to that point I had never even seen a real Hammond. So I went over there and we got into the room where they had a B3 set up, and it just immediately hit me. Before my friend had even played a note I was completely captivated by this thing. It was mammoth and made out of this beautiful wood, the Leslie speaker was humming and the motor was spinning and the horn inside the Leslie was rotating slowly. And when once I actually heard it, my first thought was 'I have to have one of these.'"   Within a month of that initial encounter with the hulking Hammond B-3, Yahel had bought his first organ, a portable variety, and shortly after began playing gigs with it. Since then Yahel has been able to scope out his own direction on the instrument. Yahel's approach to the organ is distinctive in that it is not rooted in the greasy B3 tradition of pioneering players like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff and Jack McDuff. "A lot of the B3 history comes from the church, so there is an exuberance there and a kind of praising element there, which is a wonderful part of the tradition of the B3. And that's definitely a part of what I do but I wouldn't say that it's the overall defining characteristic of what I do. I find that the B3 is capable of enormous subtlety and traditionally it's not really been used in that way all the time. But I tend to lean towards that more subtle approach in my own playing."

contact:	sam@samyahel.com
homepage:	www.samyahel.com
	Click on the logo to see Sam's tour dates.

Searchin' Naxos 86004-2 recorded April 1996 in New York City/USA	Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Ryan Kisor, trumpet Peter Bernstein, guitar Joe Strasser, drums Eric Alexander, tenor sax
Battle Cry Criss Cross 1145 recorded October 1997 in New York City/USA	Ryan Kisor, trumpet Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Brian Blade, drums
Trio Criss Cross 1158 recorded December 1997 in New York City/USA	Sam Yahel, organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Brian Blade, drums
Beneath The Stars (Yıldızların Altında) Blue Note Records recorded November 1997 in New York City/USA	Önder Focan, guitar John Nugent, tenor sax Sam Yahel, organ Bill Stewart, drums
In The Blink Of An Eye Naxos 86043-2 recorded April 1999 in New York City/USA	Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Peter Bernstein, guitar Brian Blade, drums Kahlil Kwame Bell, percussion
Soul Proprietor Criss Cross 1216 recorded May 2001 in USA	Ralph Bowen, tenor sax John Swana, trumpet Peter Bernstein, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Brian Blade, drums
Come Away With Me Blue Note 7243 5 32088 2 0 recorded 2002 in New York City/USA	Norah Jones, vocals, piano Lee Alexander, bass Jesse Harris, guitars Dan Rieser, drums Kevin Breit, guitar Brian Blade, drums Adam Levy, guitar Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Jenny Scheinman, violin
Yaya3 Loma Records 9362-48277-2 recorded January 2002 in New York City/USA	Joshua Redman, soprano sax, tenor sax Sam Yahel, organ, piano Brian Blade, drums
Elastic Warner Bros. 9362-48279-2 recorded 2002 in USA	Joshua Redman, saxes Sam Yahel, organ, piano Brian Blade, drums
Circles Criss Cross Jazz CRISS1235CD recorded December 2002 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Jesse van Ruller, guitar Seamus Blake, tenor sax Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Bill Stewart, drums
Dig This! Criss Cross Jazz CRISS1238CD recorded December 2002 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Wycliffe Gordon, trombone Seamus Blake, tenor sax Peter Bernstein, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Bill Stewart, drums
Bop On Pop JazzKey Music 5080 recorded March 2000 and February 2001	Ben Perowsky, drums Frank Perowsky, sax, clarinet Sam Yahel, organ
Salt Verve Records 314 589 933-2 recorded August and December 2002 in New York, NY/USA	Lizz Wright, vocals Jon Cowherd, conductor, Fender Rhodes, piano Chris Potter, soprano sax Myron Walden, alto sax, bass clarinet Vincent Gardner, trombone Derrick Gardner, trumpet Brian Blade, guitar, drums Adam Rogers, guitar Kenneth Banks, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, piano Danilo Pérez, piano Monte Croft, marimba, vibes Sam Yahel, Hammond organ Ellen Westerman, cello string section Doug Weiss, bass Terreon Gully, drums Jeff Haynes, percussion
Turn Me On Blue Note 5526572	Norah Jones, piano, vocals Adam Rogers, guitar Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Lee Alexander, bass Dan Rieser, drums
Live In Austin, TX bootleg recorded live April 2004 at The Continental Club in Austin, TX/USA	Bill Frisell, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Brian Blade, drums
Live At Jazz Standard 2004 bootleg recorded live May 2004 in New York City, NY/USA	Bill Frisell, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Brian Blade, drums
New Vistas Criss Cross Jazz 1251 CD recorded November 2003 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Jim Rotondi, trumpet, flugelhorn Peter Bernstein, guitar Chris Potter, tenor sax, flute Sam Yahel, organ Bill Stewart, drums
On The Moon Concord Records CCD-2221-2 in New York, NY/USA	Peter Cincotti, piano, vocals Rob Mathes, conductor Rob Mounsey, conductor Elena Barere, concert master Brad Leali, alto sax, tenor sax Scott Kreitzer, tenor sax Gary Smulyan, baritone sax, trombone Wycliffe Gordon, trombone Barry Danielian, trumpet Jeff Mironov, guitar Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ William Galison, harmonica Barak Mori, bass Mark McLean, drums, percussion Kenny Washington, drums Bashiri Johnson, percussion
Momentum Nonesuch 7559-79864-2 recorded 2005 in Englewood, NJ and North Hollywood, CA and New York, NY/USA	Joshua Redman, tenor sax, keyboards Sam Yahel, organ, keyboards Jeff Ballard, drums Brian Blade, drums Peter Bernstein, guitar Flea, Electric bass Jeff Parker, guitar Eric Krasno, guitar Meshell Ndegeocello, bass Stefon Harris, vibes Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar Nicholas Payton, trumpet Questlove, drums
Oakland bootleg recorded live 31 December 2005 at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA/USA	Joshua Redman, tenor sax Sam Yahel, organ Brian Blade, drums
Views Criss Cross Jazz CRISS1273CD recorded October 2005 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Jesse van Ruller, guitar Seamus Blake, tenor sax Sam Yahel, organ Bill Stewart, drums
Half The Perfect World Rounder Records 11661-3252-2 recorded April 2006 in Los Angeles, CA/USA	Madeleine Peyroux, vocals, guitar Sam Yahel, piano, Hammond organ, Estey organ Larry Goldings, celeste Till Brönner, trumpet Gary Foster, alto sax Dean Parks, guitar Greg Leisz, pedal steel guitar David Piltch, double bass Scott Amendola, drums Jay Bellerose, drums, cymbals String quartet arranged by Mark Orton
Mysterious Shorter Chesky Records SACD321 recorded April 2006 in New York City/USA	Nicholas Payton, trumpet Bob Belden, soprano sax, tenor sax Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Billy Drummond, guitar John Hart, drums
Truth And Beauty Origin Records 82479 recorded September 2005 in New York City/USA	Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Joshua Redman, tenor sax Brian Blade, drums
Impressions Chesky Records SACD337 recorded September 2007 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, New York City/USA	Larry Coryell, guitar Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Paul Wertico, drums
Jazz Side Of The Moon Chesky Records SACD338 recorded at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, New York City/USA	Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Ari Hoenig, drums Mike Moreno, guitar Seamus Blake, tenor sax
Five Criss Cross Jazz Criss 1305 CD recorded October 2007 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Ralph Bowen, tenor sax John Swana, trumpet Peter Bernstein, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Dana Hall, drums
Next Page Posi-Tone PR8050	Yotam Silberstein, guitar Chris Cheek, tenor sax Sam Yahel, organ Willie Jones III, drums
From Sun to Sun Origin Records OJ 82596 recorded May 2010	Sam Yahel, piano, Hammond B-3 organ Matt Penman, bass Jochen Rückert, drums
Covers Blue Note 50999 7 35022 2 7 compilation	Norah Jones, vocals, piano Sam Yahel, organ Adam Levy, guitar Lee Alexander, bass Andrew Borger, drums Kevin Breit, mandolin
The Best Of Madeleine Peyroux Rounder Records 0888072361577 compilation	Madeleine Peyroux, vocals, guitar Faith Jefferson Houston, vocals Dean Parks, guitar Marc Ribot, guitar Duke McVinnie, guitar, bass Christopher Bruce, guitar Larry Goldings, piano, Hammond organ, Estey organ Sam Yahel, piano, Hammond organ, Estey organ John Kirby, keyboards Patrick Warren, keyboards Cyrus Chestnut, piano Charlie Giordano, accordion, organ Gary Foster, alto sax James Carter, tenor sax Till Brönner, trumpet David Piltch, bass Meshell Ndegeocello, bass Larry Klein, bass Steve Kirby, bass Greg Cohen, bass Jay Bellerose, drums Charlie Drayton, drums Vinnie Colaiuta, drums Leon Parker, drums Scott Amendola, drums Kenny Wollesen, drums, percussion Robert Burke, drums Regina Carter, violin Jane Carpantoni, cello Mark Orton, String quartet arrangement
Diamond Cut Mack Avenue MAC1127 recorded in Rhinebeck, NY/USA	Tia Fuller, vocals Adam Rogers, guitar Sam Yahel, organ James Genus, bass Dave Holland, bass Jack DeJohnette, drums Bill Stewart, drums Terri Lyne Carrington, percussion
Bits & Pieces Losen Records LOS 201-2 recorded March 2018 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Eirik Berg Svela, guitar Dave Edge, tenor sax Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Tore Thorvaldsen Sandbakken, drums
The Optimist Igloo Records IGL304	Toine Thys, soprano sax, tenor sax, bass clarinet Sam Yahel, Hammond organ Hervé Samb, guitar Karl Jannuska, drums
Dem New York Dues AGATE AGIP-3664 recorded November 2019 in Brooklyn, NY/USA	Iwao Ochi, guitar Sam Yahel, organ Anthony Pinciotti, drums
Ancient Grains Positone 8221	Will Bernard, guitar Sam Yahel, Hammond B-3 organ Donald Edwards, drums

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