Hammond B-3

Rosemary Bailey was ten years old when she was hired by Hammond as a concert artist. Over the years, she took part in the growth of the organ market in the 1970s and had first-hand experiences bringing music to millions. Her interview was filled with remarkable stories of being in the industry when trends and popularity for musical instruments changed, such as the Hammond Piper all the way to the early days of MIDI. Rosemary is currently working with the Roland Corporation. 

Kyle Barker began working in the piano retail industry in 1969 when the Sherman & Clay Piano Company in Northern California hired him. Five years later he established Barker Music in Modesto, where he would later expand the line to include guitars and percussion. Kyle also opened a second store in Stockton, CA. Like many music retailers, Kyle remains a very active musician, playing keyboards and singing both in a group and solo work in the community. His passion for music remains evident to anyone who walks in the store. 

Joey DeFrancesco has single handedly brought back the popularity of the Hammond B-3, beginning in the 1990s. Joey’s soulful approach echoes his heroes of the past such as Jimmy Smith, whom he recorded with in 2005. Joey has also brought the organ style up-to-date to be played smoothly in jazz. Under Suzuki the B-3 was put back in production in 2004 and with Joey’s promotion both as an endorsee and performer the instrument is once again playing a role in modern music.

Jimmy Gibbs opened the very first crate containing a Hammond B-3 in the United Kingdom in the 1950s. Several years later, at the height of the Cold War, Jimmy brought the famous organ to Moscow, the first person to do so in history. He found that “music can speak every language and that no one ever needs to interpret a smile on the face of those playing music. We all know what that smile means!” Jimmy was also an important leader in establishing Hammond Dealers throughout Europe. 

Jon Hammond has successfully created a career based on his musical talents and his passion for the music industry! As a musician Jon has performed with many legendary players and as a clinician and product artist he has introduced many innovative products to music stores and their customers over the last 30 plus years. Jon is closely identified with the two main products of his career, the Excelsior Accordion and the Digital B3 Organ.

Don Leslie, the inventor of the very successful Leslie Speaker, was pleased with the concept of the product that was a simple idea but a tricky design. As a child, Don was fascinated by the large pipe organs and how the sound traveled all around the listener. He had the goal of bringing that experience into the home. His speaker, which has a rotating sound-cone, uses the Doppler effect to create its unique sound. The speaker became popular when used with the Hammond B-3 organ and both seemed to be created for each other, even though they were not originally.  

Houston Person, after a 3-year old musical partnership with the great vocalist Etta Jones, is only now receiving the recognition he deserves as one of today’s leading instrumentalists in the tradition of Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine. Since Etta’s passing, Houston has concentrated on working with some of today’s best Hammond B-3 players; performing blues-oriented soulful jazz, “please music” as Houston likes to call it.

Jack Ripperger was the director of marketing for the Hammond Organ Company for seven years, at the height of the home organ boom in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. During his time in the industry Jack played a vital role in increasing the promotion of African-American musicians who were already using musical instruments but who were not getting recognition from the manufacturing and suppliers of the products. He began this effort with jazz pianist Jimmy Smith who at the time was producing a string of hits using the Hammond B3. Jack brought Jimmy to the NAMM Show, along with other such artists including Don Lewis, who would later have a long career with the Roland Corporation.

Dr. Lonnie Smith is among the well respected organists, who demonstrate instruments for fellow musicians. Dr. Lonnie has been a regular performer at the NAMM Shows since the 1960s. He was born in Lackawanna, New York, and soon joined his singing family on the radio performing everything from gospel to jazz. Over the years he has recorded with a long list of jazz artists such as George Benson, King Curtis and Joey DeFrancesco. His recordings on the Blue Note Record label beginning in 1967 captured some of the most memorable performances in his career. Several of those albums have become classic examples of jazz organ performances, especially the albums “Think” and “Turning Point.”

Mangi Suzuki has a deep passion for the music industry. He is the founder and president of Suzuki Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company in Hamamatsu, Japan. The company began as a harmonica maker and over the years has developed innovative instruments such as a full line of wood harmonicas for music education. His passion has always been to introduce music into the lives of young people. During the 1980s he purchased the Hammond Organ Company and for the first time ever brought in the Leslie Speaker Company under the same ownership. Those on hand for the recording of Mr. Suzuki’s interview had a real sense of history, as his career was revolutionary on many levels.