Todd Hildreth
Interview

The Hammond Grounds Interview Most pertinent biographical facts When/where were you born? Louisville, KY Where did/do you live? (cities, countries) Lived in Louisville all my life. Did/do you have any other professional occupations? I worked briefly as a cameraman for public television. What were/are your parents' occupations? My father worked in social services, mainly in the area of juvenile delinquency. My mother ran a home day care center for a few years, now she works in the field of medical insurance. Most pertinent artistic facts What are your recordings? (which do you think is best?) So far, Java Men have one CD A Letter To St Paul. I'm also on organ on King Kong's Me Hungry CD and their seven inch release Hot Dog Days. I like the Java Men CD best because it features my writing and playing more. What were your most notable concerts? I played at the Montreux jazz festival in Switzerland while still in college (not organ, piano), and I was on second stage at Lollapalooza with King Kong. What are your regular gigs? Java Men play mostly in Louisville, places like Twice Told Coffeehouse, Bluegrass Brewing Company and Butchertown Pub. We also play at venues out of town such as The Cheapside Bar in Lexington KY, Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, OH, Lounge Ax or the Bop Stop in Chicago, or Lucy's Records in Nashville, TN. Have you received any awards/degrees? (other achievements?) I have a BA in music and a BA in English. I won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in college. What are your goals for the future? To get better all the time, try to get our music to anyone who would like it. Main influences Who are your musical heroes? On organ - Lonnie Smith, Larry Young, Jeff Palmer, Dan Wall, John Medeski, Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes. Piano - Keith Jarret, Chick Corea, Oscar Peterson, Errol Garner, Lennie Tristano, Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, Jerry Lee Lewis. Others - The Beatles, Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Carl Stalling, Queen, Bach, Chopin, Devo. What are your favorite albums? Afro Blue, Unity, any Oscar Peterson, Timeless (John Aebercrombie), Sgt Peppers, Back At the Chicken Shack, Blythe Spirit (Arthur Blythe) Supertrios (McCoy Tyner) Trio music (Chick Corea) anything w/Jarrett, Peacock, Dejohnette. etc....on and on..... Who would you pay to see perform? I'd love to see Lonnie Smith live, or Jeff Palmer. Who do you credit as musical teachers? I studied classical piano with a guy in Louisville named Steve Crews, and jazz with a saxophonist named Ron Jones. I learn from everyone I play with and listen to. Back to top!

Define your love for the Hammond B-3 organ sound I love it's scream, and the way one held note can seem alive (esp. w/ C3 vibrato). I like how it fits well in trio settings. When did you first get hooked? I always liked it's sound in rock bands, but hearing Jimmy Smith hooked me on the sound of organ in jazz. Why do you continue to play it despite its obscurity? There is still an audience for it, and if there wasn't, well, I'd still play it. How do you feel you can further your career? Keep doin what I'm doin'. Who would you like to play/record with? Whoah, that's tough. Phil Woods, Dave Liebman, Zorn, David Bowie, Beck, there's a million people. Would you like to record more or less often? More Would you like to tour more or less often? More, but my wife won't like it. What keeps you going? I love it! What makes you feel good about your career? I love bringing an idea to fruition, it's also nice to hear good things from people you respect. Who/what supports you when you hit an obstacle? My own diligence. What hobbies/activities/passions do you have outside of music? Playing with my computer, watching cartoons, hanging out with my wife. How do you relax? I just like working at my pace. That's comfortable enough. How do you like to vacation? I like to get in the car with Julie and just drive, stopping wherever we want, doing simple things, checking out small towns, or dumb attractions. We never do anything fancy. Who would it be a dream come true to have played with, even if it could not have been possible (i.e., dead before you were old enough to play)? I would have liked to have taken a lesson with Larry Young, or Lennie Tristano, or watched a stride piano cutting session, or have been in or any Beatles recording session, or have played in Zappa's band, or in at a Warner Bros cartoon soundtrack session, or in Duke's band, or Miles, or Coltrane, or Bird. How can your fans contact you? E-mail: thayes@iglou.com or regular mail: Java Men P.O. Box 17080, Louisville, KY, 40217