Hammond Model BC in production 1936 to 1942
(This is an early cousin to the mighty B3.
Photo is circa 1943. Sorry, age of organist unknown.)

FIRST EVER!
"QUEENS OF THE B3" CONCERT

My pics from B3 Summit V with Barbara Dennerlein, Rhoda Scott & Trudy Pitts Click HERE

My pics from Jimmy Smith/Joey DeFrancesco Concert in San Francisco Click HERE

More of my great pics from the show's sound check Click HERE

FINALLY! To experience the show yourself, here's the newly-released "Incredible" CD of the show put out by Concord Records (www.concordrecords.com). Pick it up at your local record store and enjoy.

==>PLEASE CLICK ON ALL SMALL IMAGES TO ENLARGE<==

My Favorite B3 Album Cover

This collection of organ trios on the Shanachie label includes all the greats.

In the order they appear on the CD:
Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Joey DeFrancesco, Jimmy Smith Lonnie Smith, Larry Goldings, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Jack McDuff, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Larry Young, and others.

Speaking of Groove Holmes, here's a collage of him from an old issue of the "Hammond Times".

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NOSTALGIC HAMMOND PICS

Here, hubby & son relax while mom jams on the "B".

HAMMONDS, HEAPS, & "HERESY"

Around that time, critics from the American Guild of Organists filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission charging that the Hammond Company was competing unfairly by advertising their new invention as something comparable to the great pipe organ and should not even be calling it an 'organ'. It was decided to have a panel of experts gather together for a comparison test between the pipe organ and Hammond's new 'organ'. Around twenty of the most outstanding musicians from Chicago were present.

Heaps played the pipe organ while another organist demonstrated on the Hammond. Heaps was later accused of being bias toward the Hammond instrument because he knew both instruments and he may have used registrations on the pipe organ that tended to give the Hammond a slight advantage. He refuted this charge. The result of this test was that few listeners actually heard a discernable difference between the two instruments and consequently the panel ruled that the Hammond Company could call their instrument an 'organ' as long as phrases like 'several million tone combinations' were not used in their advertisements.

Porter Heaps was to become a true champion for the Hammond Company. It was he who questioned Laurens Hammond about the direction of his marketing. Mr. Hammond once ordered a radio station in Chicago, who had purchased an organ and was using it to play popular music, to cease such broadcasts. Porter explained to him how narrow-minded this behavior was...after all, selling the instrument should have been the main objective. Why should Laurens Hammond be so concerned about the type of music that was coming out of this instrument as long as more and more were being sold?

Porter Heaps went on to convince Hammond that the larger, home market was more important. He helped develop a chord system of home instruction for those who wanted to learn to play the Hammond organ.

Porter Heaps truly was the man who got the general public interested in the Hammond organ.

(From: James Welch, 'Porter Heaps Versatile 20th-Century Organist' The American Organist, June 1990, Vol 24, No 6, pp. 84-86.)

Stevie B3's note:
I spoke with Porter Heaps a couple of years ago.
He still had a Hammond in his home, but didn't play much because of disabilities.
Sadly, Mr Heaps passed away this past year.

Tony Z & Buddy Guy

(remember to click image to enlarge)

MY CURRENT PROJECTS

ABOVE is a shot of my living room as I converted a single speed Leslie 51 (left) to a two speed 122.
The two speed motors came from a "brand X" console with built-in leslies. I used my 147 (right) as a "guide". Those are a couple of A100's in the background and a Leslie 251 converted to a 122 by Bob Schleicher, one of the top Hammond techs on the planet.
Check him out at www.tonewheel.com.

Here's Murph inspecting my latest cabinet work.
(As always, he couldn't wait 'till I applied the finish.)
I had to replace the upper rails and lid of a B3 that had been beheaded.
See Part 2 of my site for the "before picture" & story.
I used solid black walnut from a tree my late father logged back in Michigan.
His spirit will always live on in this B3.

World's First "Hamwurli"?

I decided to combine two classic instruments so I installed a Wurlitzer 200A electric piano into the case of a Hammond A100. The 12" Hammond speakers really added some bottom end to the 3"x6" Wurli speakers. (Yes, I do have too much time on my hands)

I plan to devote part of my Site to Wurlitzer electric pianos, so check back soon.

Leslie 21H

Wanna see some more Hammonds and Leslies?

You're the visitor to stop by (plus about 6,000 since my counter got accidentaly reset).

This site created 8/16/97....updated 12/11/97, 6/21/98, 11/16/99, 12/25/99, 10/3/00, 11/13/00, 1/26/2004.