Here are a couple recent releases that deliver the classic grooves of the Hammond B3 trio with guitar and drums
Charlie Dennard teams up with Todd Duke/g and either Doug Belote/dr or Geoff Clapp/dr for a vintage get-down session of toe tappers. Duke’s guitar swings on the boogalooing “Grant’s Pants,” gets nice and funky on “Booby Trap” and delivers an easy gait on “Back in the Day” while the drums go from a swinging backbeat on “Let’s Go” to a hip shuffle during the title track. Dennard hits the Rhodes on “Hunch” but otherwise lets the Leslie amps do the breathing as on the peppy “Blues By Five” and soulful “Carrot Cake.” A fun one!
Guitarist Brad Allen Williams brings together Pat Bianchi/B3 and Tyshawn Sorey for a warm recording that was done in analog, giving the sound a personal touch. The trio makes some clever choices in material, such as a lively sitar solo on “Betcha By Golly Wow” and hip read of the 80s pop hit “Steppin’ Out.” Bianchi is dreamy on “Stairway to the Stars” and gets down real low on “Galveston.” The trio works on making a hip gait on “Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project,” just before the leader closes the session with a glowing solo read of “More Than You Know.” Worth repeated listens.