"There is no speed limit where you are going,” writes jazz organist and teacher Tony Monaco in the liner notes of his 16-year-old protégé Kevin Coelho’s debut album. “Just be careful OK?"
Sounding like a father handing his son the keys to the family jalopy, Monaco’s words convey encouragement, love and just the slightest hint of worry. After all, life as a jazz musician is not the easiest of roads to travel, and navigating its corners with a Hammond B3 organ can be awkward, maybe even dangerous at times.
Now, in case you were wondering, the B3 isn't actually a car. We're just going with the metaphorical flow of Coelho's playfully-titled Funkengruven: The Joy of Driving a B3 (Summit, 2012), which shows a young musician in control of his vehicle and keeping his eyes on the road.
The distance he’s covered already is impressive (10 years of music lessons, including five years of jazz and organ studies). But is he ready to move from a temporary permit to a full licence?
Hold on tight: it's time for Coelho to take the CBC Music Hammond B3 Driver’s Test.
1. How old are you required to be to legally drive a B3?
"Really there’s no age requirement. I’ve seen videos of 12 year olds driving the B3 better than me. It just takes a lot of maturity and a lot of respect for the instrument."
2. Is a seatbelt required while driving?
"A seatbelt is recommended for general audiences. But the best B3 players really know how to take risks with the instrument and get that extra kick out of it, and they’re the ones driving without seatbelts."
3. Unless otherwise posted, what is the B3’s maximum allowed speed limit?
"The B3 really doesn’t have a speed limit. The instrument goes wherever you push it to go. Sometimes you crap out, and sometimes you discover something really special and new."
4. When does the law require vibrato on a B3 to be turned on? And off?
"It really depends on the style of the player and the style of the song. I might turn the vibrato on for a ballad, and I might turn it off for a swing tune. I might turn it on and off 50 times during a song for effect. It's really more about the moment rather than a specific defined set of times when it's on or off."
5. If two B3 drivers arrive at the same gig at approximately the same time, the right-of-way should be given to …
"... neither of them! When you get two B3s on the same stage it’s really a blast. A great example is the record Giants of the [Organ] Come Together, with Groove Holmes and Jimmy McGriff. Absolutely amazing record, with two B3s!"
6. During poor playing conditions, B3 drivers must remember …
"... the bass is more important than anything. If you are going to make one thing sound good, it should be the bass. You can lose the solo and the right hand, and if your left hand and foot sounds good, the band will sound good."
7. To get your solo out of a skid, you should …
"... take some space, relax and play what you know. There’s no shame in playing some crowd-pleasing licks.
8. When deciding to make a U-turn, your first consideration should be …
"... where am I going with this? It’s a bad idea to make a U-turn and not know which direction you are heading. That doesn’t mean you can’t try something or put something out there and see where it takes you, but if you hit a dead end, then you should probably start with something new."
9. When descending a steep ballad, a good and safe B3 driving practice is to …
"... be soulful, and don’t try to do so much. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to do too many things because the B3 gives you so many [options] to work with. But especially on ballads, it doesn’t take much to make them sound really beautiful on an organ. The art of leaving things out is really what is key in jazz."
10. What should you do if your B3 drives off the road?
"I’ve driven my B3 off the road before. The answer is simple: point at the drummer and say – 'Solo.'"
Bonus question: what do you see when you look in your B3's rear-view mirror?
"My B3 is pretty janky so it doesn’t have a rear-view mirror. I should really have one installed but I like the idea of having no idea what’s behind me. Adds a little more spice and surprise to the gig."
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