*Note: Big thanks to Jeffrey Bordes for this beautiful article! from October 1998, when I came back to Berkeley, California :
"organist jon hammond
back on track":
"Airports, bus station and railroad stations are amaging to me
There are so many people coming and going. Each one has
their own story especially those moving from one city to
another. The San Francisco bay area is quickly becoming one
of the most popular cities to move to. This is even more true
for musicians. New York, L.A., and Nashville have always
been the place to be for music. That is not so true anymore.
Everyday more and more musicians move to the bay area in
hopes of finding a great outlet for their music. This past June
yet another musician walked off a plane with many dreams to
achieve in the San Francisco bay area. This man, like the rest
at the airport, had a story. This wasn't a huge, new move for
him but actually a homecoming. This would be the beginning
of yet another chapter in his lengthy book. His name is
Jon Hammond , and as San Francisco will soon again learn,
he is one of the funkiest organ players around.
Hammond has paid his dues to do what he loves the most,
music. In the late 1970's he moved from San Francisco to
New York City to become noticed. In 1983 he found an outlet
for his music, "The Jon Hammond Show", a weekly television
show aired on Manhattan Cable. Along with video artist/editor
Lori Friedman, Hammond came up with a different approach
to music television. Hammond's tapping foot and his voice
were the only human connection on the show. Musical
appearances on the show have been made by David "Fathead" Newman, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie , Alex Foster ,
and Cornell Dupree . The music, combined with Friedman's
artistic design, developed in to what Billboard Magazine
called "The Alternative to MTV"
Hammond ran in to problems when wanting to take
"The Jon Hammond Show" studio band in to the recording
studio. "I did not have enough money to record an pay my
musicians for their time." Hammond told me over the phone.
"I ended up having to pay with my rent money and in return
I gave the master tapes of the recording session to my landlord as collateral. "From that point on Hammond's. band has always been called "The Late Rent Session Men." The constants in the band remain Hammond and his long-time partner and friend, former Crusaders guitarist Barry Finnerty.
Finnerty has recorded with Miles Davis and the Brecker Brothers.
Monumental changes happened for Hammond in 1991. He found an ultimate low. "I had hit bottom," he remembers, "not eating, not taking care of myself." After ending up in a New York hospital for dehydration, he chose to move back to San Francisco. Later that year the Hammond Suzuki company asked him to try out the the new XB-2 organ (basically a travel size B3 organ). Now with a travel size organ, he decided to...travel. "I immediately got on the plane and went to Frankfurt, Germany , with only $100 in my pocket and my new XB-2." While staying with a friend who lived in Frankfurt, he played on the street until he got himself a steady gig at the Jazzkeller. "The first night I played there were 19 people in the audience, the second night there were 15." Luck got Hammond an interview on a local TV show. "The next night I took a cab to the club and saw a huge commotion outside of the club. I was worried that there was some sort of gallery show in the club that hadn't let out yet. As we pulled up to the curb I realized they were there to see me!" That night started a great career in Europe for Hammond. To this day he calls Frankfurt his good luck city. Hammond would continue to make Europe and New York City his home for the next seven years to come.
Back problems have recently brought Hammond back to the bay area for medical treatment. He jokes "back problems are something all organ players are due to have. "The bay area being Hammond's medical refuge is very fortunate for us locals. Since his speedy recovery, he has jumped right back in to the clubs not missing a beat. This month Hammond brings us two very special shows. The infamous funk/R&B drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie will be flying out from New York City to join Hammond's Late Rent Session Men at San Francisco's The Club Cocodrie on Saturday October 9th and at Kimball's East in Emeryville on Sunday October 11th. Let's all welcome back Hammond to the bay area! " -- Jon Hammond also appears weekly at Moriarty's Bar & Grill in Crockett
written by Jeffrey Bordes