I'll be playing the new Hammond Flexi-B XK-5 Organ in Nashville next week - Jon Hammond

I'll be playing the new Hammond XK-5 Organ in Nashville next week with some good friends at the Hammond organ event on night of June 23rd - from my good friends at Suzuki Musical Instruments​, my friend Masato Tomie is one of the main development engineers - sounds and plays just like the old B3 with multi-contact 3x3 waterfall keys...brilliant! We are going to get real funky at SoundCheck Nashville​ Studios - Jon Hammond​ Hammond Flexi-B Top Secret Organ with 9 contact keyboards! – Jon Hammond at musikmesse with Suzuki Musical Instruments Prototype Debut With Joe Berger guitar, Kayleigh Moyer drums and Chuggy Carter percussion - here the new XK-5 as Jon Hammond plays his hits "Get Back in The Groove" "Pocket Funk" "Late Rent" ! Hammond XK-5 aka Flexi-B Top Secret Organ Programmable Multi Contact Keys with MTW 1 Modeled Tone Wheel Generator Hammond Flexi-B Top Secret Organ with 9 contact keyboards! - Jon Hammond at musikmesse with Suzuki Musical Instruments Prototype Debut WATCH VIDEO: Michael Falkenstein And Jon Hammond Musikmesse Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/MichaelFalkensteinAndJonHammondMusikmesse Jon’s archive https://archive.org/details/MichaelFalkensteinAndJonHammondMusikmesse Masato Tomie is also guitarist of Black Market Band with Kunio Miyauchi ! Youtube https://youtu.be/VF7WXWHv1a4 Jon Hammond Band​ getting funky with Head Phone Live in Jazzkeller​ - Jon's annual musikmesse​ Warm Up Party with Giovanni Totò Gulino​ drums, Joe Berger​ guitar, Peter Klohmann​ tenor saxophone, Jon Hammond​ at the Hammond Sk1 organ - Jon Hammond uses Sennheiser​ Momentum headphones with in-line mic remote http://www.HammondCast.com - Video Directed by Tino Pavlis​ Sennheiser Momentum​ Michael Falkenstein with Prototype Hammond Flexi-B Hammond XK-5 aka Flexi-B Top Secret Organ Programmable Multi Contact Keys with MTW 1 Modeled Tone Wheel Generator Accordions Worldwide Breaking News: Jon Hammond Funk Unit Featured, Summer NAMM, Nashville, Tennessee - USA by Holda Paoletti-kampl Jon Hammond Funk Unit Featured, Summer NAMM, Nashville, Tennessee - USA by Holda Paoletti-kampl http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=27-May-2016&lang=en#art11769 Sylvia Pagni, Holda Paoletti-Kampl, Jon Hammond in Musikmesse Frankfurt Jon Hammond, Holda Paoletti-kampl Accordions Worldwide Editor http://accordions.com/, Joe Berger, Nello Gabrielloni in halle 3.0 at Musikmesse Accordion Radio News http://accordionradio.com/news.html Jon Hammond Funk Unit Featured, Summer NAMM, Nashville, Tennessee - USA by Holda Paoletti-Kampl Jon Hammond's Hammond Funk Unit quintet is performing a 40 minute set of his original compositions as part of the Summer NAMM Showcase at the famous Music City Center, Nashville. The concert is on Friday June 24th, 2pm to 2.40pm. California-based Jon Hammond is a jazz musician and radio presenter, best-known nowadays as an organist who regularly uses accordion in his group and for hospital and old folks concerts (picture below). Jon Hammond wrote: "Three of the musicians are Nashville based: R Barber (trombone), Louis ‘Flip’ Winfield (drums), Cord Martin (tenor saxophone) plus my long-time guitarist Joe Berger and myself on Hamond organ - both Joe and myself are officially from New York City, although I am also in California a lot - I’m still a New Yorker! There is a very strong chance that Lee Oskar will be joining us as Special Guest. I can’t guarantee that Lee will be onstage with us. We recently talked about doing it when we met at the ASCAP Pop Awards in Hollywood last month. He told me that he will be there and is going to try to make it, so we are going to have the stage set up for that, we have played together several times over the years. Lee was an award recipient at the ASCAP Pop Awards and besides being the original member of the legendary band WAR, he manufactures his own line of Lee Oskar Harmonicas that have been very popular with Blues and Rock performers for years. Here we are in Hollywood a couple of weeks ago, with Lee wearing the medal he was awarded." Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/GetBackInTheGrooveJonHammondBand Jon Hammond Band Facebook https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=940444542651010 Youtube http://youtu.be/eKZ8vQGJq8Y Jon Hammond's composition "Get Back in The Groove" very special performance Jon Hammond Band in Jazzkeller Frankfurt Jon's annual musikmesse Warm Up Party with many close friends in attendance - Tony Lakatos on tenor saxophone, Joe Berger guitar, Giovanni Totò Gulino drums, special guest Lee Oskar harmonica, Jon Hammond organ / bass Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/6842260604 Hello New York! Jon Hammond Show 28 Minutes Preview 06/04 MNN TV - First segment: Jon Hammond's annual musikmesse Warm Up Party in the world famous jazzkeller Frankfurt - LATE RENT Jon Hammond Theme Song - Jon Hammond Band: Peter Klohmann tenor, Giovanni Totò Gulino drums, Joe Berger guitar, Jon Hammond organ - Video: Tino Pavlis - Second segment: First playing of the Todd Anderson arrangement of "Lydia's Tune" by Jon Hammond - Organist Jon Hammond composed this song in Paris France after flying there aboard Air France Concorde in year 1981, played here now with Meeting House Jazz Orchestra - #hammondcast Arranged and Conducted by tenor saxophonist Todd Anderson. Bob Rosen (tenor) presiding over the Music Program at Friends Seminary​ 230 year old school established on Manhattan's East Side - David Zalud trumpet, Greg Ruvolo trumpet, Jim Piela saxophone, Pat Hall, Art Baron​, Alfredo Marques trombones, (guitar solo): David Acker guitar, Mike Campenni drums, Charles Lee alto, more names coming! Thank you for playing my song and those listening and watching this Podcast folks! Jon Hammond​ ©JON HAMMOND International ASCAP http://www.HammondCast.com/ TV Producers of Manhattan Neighborhood Network [MNN]​ - Manhattan Neighborhood Network​ - Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM​ of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM AFM Local 6 PROFILE http://afm6.org/member-profile/jon-hammond-wheres-the-gig/ — with Alfredo Marques, Bob Rosen, Greg Ruvolo, Todd Anderson, Mike Campenni, Art Baron, David Acker, Charles Lee and AFM Local 6 at Friends Seminary. 3rd segment: Jon Hammond Band​ - Czechoslovakian Salsa Song by Jon Hammond (organ) Video Tino Pavlis Note: https://www.facebook.com/notes/jon-hammond-band/best-party-of-the-year-jon-hammonds-annual-musikmesse-warm-up-party-in-jazzkelle/1107482975950736 Best Party of The Year! Jon Hammond’s annual musikmesse​ Warm Up Party in Jazzkeller​ Tuesday April 5th 2016 celebrating 30 years Jon Hammond​ – organ Joe Berger​ – guitar Peter Klohmann​ – saxophone Giovanni Totò Gulino​ – drums Mr. Hammond has toured worldwide since 1991 using the incredible Sk1 organ by Hammond Suzuki..™ “Classic Hammond Sound…In A Suitcase!” The Jon Hammond Show is a funky swinging instrumental revue, featuring top international soloists. The show has universal appeal. Big Hammond orgel sound – 100% organic ©JON HAMMOND International - JJ Guitars​ Suzuki Musical Instruments​ 4th segment: As Seen On MNN TV The Jon Hammond Show - Filmed in High Definition - Pocket Funk with NDR Horns - Jon Hammond Band special Auster Jazz Series - musical director Michael Leuschner trumpet, Lutz Büchner tenor saxophone, Ernst-Friedrich Fiete Felsch alto saxophone, Funky Heinz Lichius drums feature on this one, Joe Berger guitar, Jon Hammond organ + bass http://www.HammondCast.com/ special thanks dankeschön to Knut Simon and Lukas Aaron Hambrecht AutoBild Redaktion Team for bringing the Borgward, Nicolai Ditsch for operating the camera (also a fine drummer) and all the Hamburg people who came to this party session, Auster Bar Team Frank Blume & Torsten Wendt - support from Musik Rotthoff, Joe Berger is playing Futhark Guitars, Jon Hammond the Sk1 Hammond manufactured by Suzuki Musical Instruments - Auster Bar Hamburg Eimsbüttel #hammondcast Producer Jon Hammond Language English Youtube https://youtu.be/HHyh9Hqj_bE Jon Hammond with his trusty Sennheiser HD 25-1 headphones x Duo Gig today: Marc Baum & Jon Hammond after the gig with dueling famous Remin Kart-A-Bag wheels, it's a wrap folks! http://jonhammondband.com/blog.html/ AFM Local 6 Member Profile JON HAMMOND: "WHERE'S THE GIG?" -- by ALEX WALSH https://afm6.org/member-profile/jon-hammond-wheres-the-gig/ Jon Hammond is a musician, composer, bandleader, publisher, journalist, TV show host, radio DJ, and multi-media entrepreneur. He currently travels the world, playing gigs and attending trade shows. THE EARLY YEARS Jon Hammond was born in Chicago in 1953. His father was a doctor and his mother was a housewife. They both played the piano. In 1957, his parents moved Jon and his four sisters to Berkeley, CA, where his father worked in a hospital as head of the emergency room. When he was nine, Jon started accordion lessons. “In those days, they had studios where parents would drop their kids off after school for tap dancing and accordion lessons. There were accordion bands and they would compete against each other.” “Every time I see a musician walking down the street I say, ‘Hey, where’s the gig?’ Because it doesn’t matter what kind of music you play, if you’re carrying an instrument–going to a rehearsal, or coming back from a repair shop, whatever it is–we all need our gigs. And that’s what the union is all about. Hopefully, we can all keep working and be supportive of everybody’s gigs. There’s room for everybody.” Jon played his first gig at a senior citizens luncheon when he was eleven. Not only did he get a free lunch but he was paid $25 –a lot of money in those days. Jon says his father was supportive, but did not want him to pursue a music career. “He told me that music was a great hobby. He got me a wonderful professional accordion for my Bar Mitzvah, directly from John Molinari, one of the greatest accordionists who ever lived. It was a Guilietti Professional Tone Chamber accordion. That’s the accordion I won Jr. Jazz Champion on in 1966.” In high school, Jon attended a private boys school in San Francisco. He was a class clown, and when it got to the point where he was going to be expelled, Jon took his accordion and ran away from home. He immersed himself in the San Francisco music scene and started playing organ in several bands. By 1971 he was in a four piece rock group called Hades which shared a rehearsal space with Quicksilver Messenger Service. “I was friends with their manager, Ron Polte, who also managed guitarist John Cipollina. We got to open for his band, Copperhead.” Jon continued to play gigs in the Bay Area in different configurations, including a few gigs with a young Eddie Money. By this time Jon had become frustrated with the Bay Area scene. One night while playing a biker bar he got into a fight and his band didn’t come to his defense. “That was the last straw. I was angry and I said I wasn’t coming back.” Jon in the early 70s Jon moved to Boston in 1973 to attend the Berklee School of Music. He also got a gig playing in Boston’s Combat Zone backing up burlesque shows. When Jon saw one of his idols, pianist Keith Jarrett play in New York he told him he was going to Berklee and asked him for advice. “Keith looked me right in the eye and said ‘Berklee can be very dangerous for your music.’ It was like he popped this huge bubble. Years later I came to understand what he was talking about. You have to learn the fundamentals, but the music itself comes from a much deeper place. They can’t teach that, you have to find it yourself.” When Jon’s teachers began sitting in on his gigs in Boston, he questioned why he was in school if the teachers were coming to play with him. He quit school, moved to Cape Cod and started playing with bandleader Lou Colombo. “He did all the private parties for Tip O’Neill. We played what they used to call the business man’s beat. On the gig it was forbidden to swing. It was like swing cut in half. So if you tried to go with the four, Lou would say, ‘Don’t swing it, don’t swing it.’ He pounded it into my head night after night.” LATE RENT In 1981 Jon took a trip to Paris where he broke through his writers block and wrote some of his best music. He returned to New York with his new tunes and started a production company with the idea of getting a record deal for a friend that had played on a #1 hit record. After months of pounding the pavement with no results, Jon realized he had better work on his own music before his money ran out. He took the last of his savings, including his upcoming rent money, and went into the studio to record what came to be known as “The Late Rent Sessions”. The session had Todd Anderson on tenor sax, Barry Finnerty on guitar, Stephen Ferrone on drums, and Jon on B3. They recorded at Intergalactic, the last studio that John Lennon recorded in. Jon had no luck getting a record deal for his new project, but he did get gigs in New York with his band Jon Hammond and the Late Rent Session Men. Jon Hammond Band Onstage at NAMM, 2014: Joe Berger, Dom Famularo, Alex Budman, Koei Tanaka, Jon Hammond n 1982, Jon found out about public access television and the idea that anyone could produce a show and get it on TV. He started broadcasting on Manhattan’s public station in 1984. “I decided I was going to produce a radio show on TV. The first episodes showed just my tapping foot and my voice. It was a gimmick. We had graphics that were synchronized to go with the music. It worked out well. People dug it.” Within a few weeks, Jon was interviewed and featured in Billboard Magazine. The Jon Hammond Show was considered an alternative to the clips on Cable TV. “MTV was still in its infancy. We had a concept that was revolutionary. My phone started ringing and we were the hot kids on the block.” LIVING ABROAD Jon continued to play gigs in New York and produce his TV show. In 1987, he went to his first trade show (NAMM) where he was introduced to Mr. Julio Guilietti, the man who built his accordion. He then began traveling to trade shows and making contacts with musicians and companies around the world, including Hammond Suzuki. “They gave me the Hammond XB-2, the first really powerful portable Hammond organ. Glenn Derringer, one of my all-time heroes, presented it to me. I got one of the first. Paul Shaffer from the Letterman Show got the other. At the time there was only one EXP-100 expression pedal–we had to share the pedal. I used the pedal for my gigs and when Paul needed it I would bring it over to him at 30 Rockefeller Center on my bicycle.” In the early 90s, when his New York gigs began drying up, Jon was encouraged to go to Germany. “It was a hard time. My father had just died and there were very few gigs. I got the XB-2 organ right when I needed it, so I decided to take a chance. I bought a roundtrip ticket to Frankfurt with an open return. I went with 50 bucks and stayed for a year. When I came back, I had 100 bucks.” Jon stayed at a friend’s house and played a borrowed accordion on the street until he could get a band together. “I played on the street until my fingers turned blue and would collect enough money to get some fish soup. After about two weeks I got a call—I had put a band together and had 3 gigs coming up. A TV show had heard my story and wanted to do a story on me. At the first gig 19 people came; the second only 15 people came. Then I got the little spot on TV. When I came to the third gig people were lined up down the street. When I walked up I thought they were having an art exhibit. When they said, ‘No, they’re waiting for you.’ I choked up, I couldn’t even talk. So I’ve been playing there every year since. The people in Germany really saved my musical career at a time when very few things were happening for me in New York or San Francisco. I have a really good following in Europe. I keep busy as a musician in the States, playing hospitals and assisted living places, but my band dates I pretty much play overseas.” Jon’s Late Rent Sessions was eventually released on a German label and received modest airplay. During the 90s he travelled back and forth to Europe, spending a year playing gigs in Paris, and eventually settling in Hamburg. Since then he has released two more albums and has played gigs in Moscow, Shanghai, and Australia. With the help of the internet, Jon is able to produce his TV show anywhere. PRESENT DAY In the mid-2000s Jon produced Hammondcast, a radio program for CBS that aired in San Francisco at four in the morning and was rebroadcast before Oakland A’s games. “When the baseball games played in the afternoon, my show would play for about 20 minutes and then it was pre-empted. I had a lot of fun with that.” His guests included Danny Glover, Barry Melton from Country Joe & the Fish, and many local people. “It took me awhile to figure out that I had permission to broadcast anything I wanted. I could play the London Philharmonic or Stevie Wonder. My tag line was ‘Hello, Hello, Hello! Wake up or go back to sleep…’” Today, Jon continues to visit tradeshows and is determined to keep doing everything he does as long as he can. “I made a pact with my longtime co-producer, guitarist Joe Berger, that we are going to go to these trade shows until we are little old men with canes.” Jon has released four CDs Jon Hammond Entertaining on Excelsior Accordion in Bernal Heights SF Neighborhood Center -- photo by Cheryl Fippen Local 6 XK-5, Flexi-B, SoundCheck Nashville, Top Secret, Musikmesse, Hammond Event, #HammondOrgan #NAMMShow