What's Your Favorite Instrument?

Mine's the Hammond organ. Both organic and electronic sounding, the growl of this electric organ just sends me. From CSN&Y to the Allman Bros., from Yes to ELP, from Jimmy Smith to Larry Goldings, from Ray Manzarek to John Medeski, from Reese Wynans to Rick Wright, and from Isaac Hayes to Booker T. & the MGs, I love the sounds different players coax and force out of this instrument.

Booker T. of course recorded his group's song, "Green Onions", which is one of my favorite instrumentals, along with the Allman Bros. "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed". The recordings on Blue Note during the early '60s, including Lou Donaldson and Grant Green's, have some of the funkiest Hammond ever. All seriously funkin' good music.

I loved it so much that I took a break from playing piano, which I'd played as a hobby since my mom put me in Yamaha classes, to learn the Hammond and specifically the solo from "Green Onions". Never got very good at it, but it felt good playing it, the way the organ vibrates.

What's your favorite instrument to hear? To play?

Peace.

Booker T. Jones 02/24/09