Philadelphia jazz and blues organist Jimmy McGriff died May 24th, of complications from multiple sclerosis. He was 72. He was best known for his Hammond B-3 sound on such '60s hits as "I've Got A Woman" and "All About My Girl."
Born and raised in the Germantown section of Philly, McGriff began playing piano and many other instruments while still a child. He continued to play into adulthood. After returning from a stint in the military, McGriff became a police officer who gigged at night on his upright bass.
McGriff soon became influenced by another neighborhood organist, Jimmy Smith, and his protege, Richard "Groove" Holmes, who happened to play at his sister's wedding. McGriff bought his first organ in 1956 and decided to study music, ultimately landing at New York's Juilliard School Of Music.
His small label recording of the Ray Charles hit "I've Got A Woman" became so popular it was picked up for wider distribution. He recorded several albums in a variety of styles, but his own organ imprint was easy to distinguish. He landed on the R&B charts with "The Worm" in 1968.
He continued to record and tour into the '90s. Then he joined former Ray Charles saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and funk drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, to form the Dream Team, which recorded until 2002. But his failing health soon forced him off the road.
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