Another album of popular songs played on a Hammond
organ - who knew there were so many of these things floating around out there?
Not me anyway - this exercise has been an education if nothing else. So what do
we have here? Well Don Reeves' name is the one splashed all over the cover, but
the (literally) small print on the back reveals that the 'Don Reeve Sound' is
actually the work of a trio; there's a drummer and bassist involved too. Does
that make a difference? Well yes and no. On many of the tracks here it's a
resounding 'no' - all the rhythm section do is keep the beat on a hi hat and
cymbals and play the root notes on the bass while Don bangs out the main melody
on his organ. It's nothing we haven't heard before and in truth it's pretty dull
stuff.
Interspersed between these though are tracks where
the arrangements veer further off piste - basslines start walking, drums start
to roll and Don himself starts deconstructing the songs chord structure in a way
that renders them borderline unrecognisable - I would never have recognised
'Those Were The Days' from the chorus on here, and that's normally the most
recognisable part of the song. Ok, we're not exactly in John Coltrane/'My
Favourite Things' levels of improvised riffing around a chord, but is
is different, it is interesting and frankly I wish there was
more of it. Sadly though, there isn't, and for
the most part the album sticks to the road most travelled to deliver another two
sides of easy listening background music with nothing to elevate it from what
I've come to learn is (or was) a very crowded market.
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