Joey DeFrancesco
Part III (Columbia) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
At 20 years of age, Joey DeFrancesco is playing jazz organ like a man who has had 30 years to practice. DeFrancesco, who started playing at 4, is nothing short of a prodigy, and he has the chops to prove it. DeFrancesco produced and arranged ”Part III,” and composed two numbers from the album`s collection of swinging organ romps and contemplative ballads. A nod is given to mentor Miles Davis, with the inclusion of ”Don`t Stop Me Now” and ”If I Were a Bell”-both standards from the master`s past set list. There is a studied quality to ”Part III,” the result of DeFrancesco`s tendency to lean on his virtuosity rather than take risks-an honest weakness for such a young player.
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