“Under Holloman’s control, [the organ’s] sound can be sweet and thick as molasses, or it can cut through the room like sharks’ teeth.” –Don Berryman, Jazz Police

I admit that I am not a die-hard fan of organ jazz. Until I attended Joey DeFrancesco’s gig at the Dakota last winter, I had intentionally avoided organ dates. I was not totally converted by Joey D, but I was warming up. Then I heard the amazing Dr. Lonnie Smith with sax veteran Lou Donaldson in August, and the fabulously subtle Mike LeDonne (with Eric Alexander) shortly thereafter, and I was even closer to admitting that the Hammond B-3 was a powerful jazz voice. Now, hearing local “organizer” Billy Holloman with his regular Tuesday Night Band, I have arrived—count me among the believers. This is jazz, not stadium or elevator music, and requires as much effort and musicianship to reach artistic nirvana as any jazz endeavor. And as a special treat, Holloman and the Tuesday Night Band break tradition and play the weekend at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul.

Long-time organ grinder Billy Holloman has been playing gigs at the Artists Quarter for about nine years, most regularly on Tuesday nights with drummer-AQ owner Kenny Horst and multi-sax artist Gary Berg. Their recent recording from the AQ, This Is Organ Night, documents a typical set of the “Tuesday Night Band,” bringing lively, off-kilter readings to otherwise-familiar tunes and showcasing local talents that are often under-rated.

Photo by Andrea Canter

In addition to his ownership and management of the Artists Quarter, Kenny Horst is one of the most popular drummers in the area. He anchored Bobby Lyle’s Organ Trio for three years at the Blue Note in New York, toured with Jimmy McGriff, briefly with Al Hirt, and locally has played with many of the national artists booked at the AQ. He also managed the drum kit for Mikkel Romstad’s Organ Grinders. “His musical roots are deep and he swings like nobody’s business” (Don Berryman).

Multi-instrumentalist Gary Berg swings on tenor, alto, and soprano sax as well as the chromatic harmonica. He has played a supporting role for many area musicians, live and on record. Notes Don Berryman, “He lets the bop riffs ride on the groove in a way that’s true to the music and the feeling.”

And in the hub of it all is B-3 ace Billy “The Legend” Holloman, also Bobby Lyle’s brother-in-law. A “genius at manipulating the sweet sound of the B-3” (Don Berryman), Holloman started playing the organ night gigs at the old AQ at 5^th and Jackson, with Kenny Horst bartending, Holloman cooking up greens, and attracting a young crowd eager for both free food and hot music. The rest is history as Organ Night may be the longest standing jazz gig in the Twin Cities.

Mozart dubbed the organ as the “king of instruments” and, at least around the Twin Cities, Billy Holloman is the reigning king of the organ. Come see jazz royalty in a rare weekend celebration—and a rare non-smoking first set—Friday and Saturday night, April 29-30.

The Artists Quarter is located in the lower level of the Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul; first set at 9 pm; www.mnjazz.org