To the casual observer, the piano and organ are pretty similar. The keys are laid out the same, so the skills required to play each instrument are transferable, right? Not so, and if you don’t believe ...

Few are the folks who could cast a literal shadow over the iconic Hammond B-3 organ, nicknamed "the Beast" by many of the jazz musicians who have helmed the hefty 425-pound instrument. But Reuben ...

The Hammond organ – it's heavy, it's hard to move, you basically become a lifelong van owner if you play one, and I've often said, "If your back doesn't hurt – it doesn't sound right." But I have to ...

Tributes are pouring in for Lonnie Smith, the Hammond B-3 organ virtuoso who has died at the age of 79. The NEA Jazz Master of 2017 passed away in his home in Florida from pulmonary fibrosis, his ...

The jazz world has lost its preeminent specialist of the Hammond organ. Joey DeFrancesco turned heads for decades, starting with his major label debut at age 17. (SOUNDBITE OF HAMMOND ORGAN PLAYING) ...

James Brown always knew his measure. He thought very highly of his favorite person, James Brown, and was convinced that guy could do just about anything he set his mind to. Asked how he survived his ...

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with music critic Nate Chinen about the legacy of iconic jazz Hammond organ player Joey DeFrancesco, who died on Thursday. The jazz world has lost its preeminent specialist of ...