In the
50th year of Ken's passing the 5th Dedication Show got off to a great
start with Frank Pugno playing Ken's arrangement of Someday (C-F-C-F).
This was
followed with Jealous (F) Frank explained that Ken Griffin had
standardised the conventional sound of the electronic entertainment organ.
Swell A# 80 8888 808 (Start and interlude with #3)
2 Swell B# 88 8800 000
3 Swell A# 80 8808 008
Great: 00 8865 544
Vibrato: V-3
Frank stuck to Ken's 'strolling' pace that made this a great arrangement.
Next came
The Cuckoo Waltz. This was Ken's second gold record, right on the heels of
You Can't Be True, Dear.
You Belong
To Me. This was mainly Frank's own arrangement, demonstrating Ken's
country descant harmony. If you didn't understand what Frank meant by
'descant harmony' then when Frank played the second part you immediately
heard the Ken Griffin 'descant harmony' of this recording.
Red Wing
(G). This is an early recording by Ken and Frank caught the pace and sound
of this great catchy tune.
The Ferry
Boat Serenade. (With Ken's 'Cheat-Cheat'). This was another fine
performance by Frank that made it sound as if you were listening to ken's
original recording.
Frank next
played two of Ken's compositions. Starting with Hawaiian Echos (F-C)
Swell A#: 80 8888 888
Great: F
Vibrato: V-3
This was a fine interpretation of Ken's record, of a very pleasant tune.
This was
followed by Ken's Oh Ma Kodi Polka, which a catchy little foot tapping
number. The title is a strange one but is thought to be from a native
American expression.
Frank
followed this up with a completely new tune to me 'Forget Me Not'. This is
a very sweet tune and while we know that Ken had never recorded this
number, Frank's arrangement was so close that it leaves you feeling sure
that Ken would not have played it much different from this performance.
Next came
Ken's great bouncy number The Bumpity Bump, composed by 'Doc Swain' and
once again Frank stuck strictly to Ken's Columbia record arrangement.
Ken's
arrangement of Barcarolle must surely upset a few traditionalists at the
time, but what a fantastic arrangement, which I believe in no way insulted
the classical origins of this well-known tune. For this number Frank was
joined by Eric, who played the counter melody on a small Allen organ,
which was tuned to balance with the Hammond sound. Ken had pioneered this
'electronic bell' sound, which became so well known. This was another
great interpretation of the original Columbia recording.
Eric stayed
at the Allen for another great overdubbed arrangement by Ken, It Had To Be
You. Frank and Eric didn't disappoint.
Frank next
played All Of Me in his own playing style. (Percussion Solo)
1 Swell A# 80 8888 888
2 Swell B 00 0000 000 (Percussion On, Slow,
Second
Great A# 00 8865 544
Roses From
The South (Strauss Waltz)
Swell B 80 8808 008 Percussion On, Normal, Slow, Second
(Use Percussion Off/On to add and delete the 1' drawbar)
Vibrato V-3.
This arrangement was somewhat suggestive of Ken's "Flirtation
Waltz"
Frank
concluded with a rather emotional arrangement of 'Plantation Boogie'.
Everyone looks forward to hearing this very physical arrangement and it is
great fun to watch both Frank's hands and feet move over the keyboards and
bass peddles. Frank didn't disappoint but was visually affected by the
loss of Lenny Dee a few months back and also the death of his father just
2-3 weeks back. Frank's father Bernard, attended all the previous
Dedication Shows and would sit just behind and listen to Frank's
performance with pride. Frank gave a fantastic performance, which was a
great dedication to Lenny Dee and Frank's father.
Frank knew
Lenny Dee and had not only played the organ for him but also joined in on
jam sessions with him and they had become very good friends.
For a time
it wasn't known if Frank would have been up to attending this year's show
but he can be proud of the great performance, which he gave in spite of
the circumstances.
The
resounding applause Frank received said it all.
There was a
20 minute interval where some light refreshments were available.
ERIC
LARSON
Glow Worm
(Slow, Vib 95%)
Side By Side
This was a very close arrangement to Ken's, which was played on a Conn
organ, which shouldn't be
impossible on a Hammond, but in Eric's capable hands was as close as it
gets.
Who's Sorry
Now We know that Ken never recorded this song but Eric has managed
to play an arrangement in which
Ken may well have done so.
Tea For Two
Ken's arrangement was in here somewhere but Eric played this very much in
his own style and produced a
very catchy arrangement in which he varied speed and key changes.
September In
The Rain One of Ken's very slow and haunting
arrangements, which he managed to do on the Wurlitzer
Electrostatic. It is incredible on hearing the watery sound this organ
produced on Ken's 67
Melody Lane TV programme and on these recordings managed to make it sound
like a totally
different machine. Again, Eric managed to get very close to this on the
Hammond.
Bye, Bye
Blues Another great arrangement by Eric of a tune which
Ken never recorded but may well have done in this
fashion.
What'll I Do
While Eric is great at the fast numbers, he can also make the organ sing
beautifully with a slow melody and
did a very nice arrangement of this great oldie.
Lover/Petite
Waltz One tune that Ken never recorded and the latter of
which he did. Much of Eric's own style mixed
with Ken's own arrangements.
You, You,
You This was the one number where, if I closed my eyes I could
imagine that it was Ken Griffin sitting at the
keyboard. Eric played this so perfect.
Narcissus/Sunrise
Serenade Again, Ken played these arrangements on the Wurlitzer
Electrostatic organ, that appears on
his TV show '67 Melody Lane. It is virtually impossible to get this sound
from the Hammond
Organ but Eric managed to portray the 'ES' exceptionally well.
Symphony In
3/4 Time This was another of Ken's compositions and is a very
pleasant tune indeed but again, it was
played on the Wurlitzer Electrostatic and the Hammond could only give a
very weak imitation.
However, because of Eric's fine tuning, and playing exactly to Ken's style
it was another great
interpretation.
I Don't Know
Why This is the Ken Griffin Sound that
we know and love and Eric played this spoit on.
Love Letters
In The Sand Another Wurlitzer Electrostatic recording by Ken
in which Eric manages to get the Hammond
quite close. This also required Frank to play the overdub and between them
they managed a
very nice arrangement.
Kringle's
Jingle A Ken composition, which he also recorded as Whistler's
Jingle. This arrangement required the jingle of
bells, which was played as an overdub and this required Frank to accompany
Eric, at the Allen, to add the
jingle. They earned the considerabel applause at the end of it.
Walking My
Baby Back Home Eric started off exactly as Ken played this number.
However, as Eric's own playing style is
more 'Jazzy' than Ken's 'Swing', Eric swung over to his Jazzy style, while
the organ
remained at the 'Griffin Sound' settings. This performance was a great
example of Eric's
dexterity as his fingers moved from keyboard to keyboard
My Kind Of
Girl This arrangement was strictly 'Eric Larson' in his 'Jazzy'
manner and as with the previous tune he made
this number really go, jumping from keyboard to keyboard, with key changes
and a keyboard technique
that looks and sounds very striking. It made for an excellent conclusion
to our great day of Hammond
organ music.
My only
disappointment is that there was no recording made this year, which was a
real shame as both Frank and Eric gave fantastic performances, which
should have been available to listen to again and again.
This meeting
should have taken place at Beautiful Sounds new premises but due to some
technical problems was unfinished and they had only partly moved from the
Countryside venue. Next year the Dedication Show will take place at the
new venue, which I am told is both more convenient and closer to the City
and has a separate room designed for such events. Watch out for our advert
to the October 2007 show and the new address.
