Album of the Week – Mike LeDonne – Wonderful

To me, putting a gospel choir and a jazz organist together seemed natural – but, unbelievably, it had never been done before. There have been similar recordings with voices but, as far as I know, not in a gospel choir style.

I have loved gospel music for decades. You can’t play the Hammond organ and not hear that sound in your head, no matter what style you play. Most of the music I love came from the grooves and feeling of gospel and the blues, and when I’ve listened to gospel choirs swinging hard on a refrain or a vamp, I’ve always wanted to get a piece of it. This recording was my chance to finally do that and not only add to the groove of the music, but also to expand the sound of the band with the most beautiful instrument of all – the human voice.

Love is the organic thread that ties the repertoire together. You could say this is a love letter to my wife Margaret and my daughter Mary (pictured on the cover) to whom the title track “Wonderful” is dedicated. It is also meant to shine a particularly bright light on my daughter Mary, who is multiply disabled and truly “Wonderful”.

• Mike LeDonne

Credits:

• Mike LeDonne –
• Hammond B3 organ
• Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone
• Peter Bernstein – guitar
• Joe Farnsworth – drums
• Daniel Sadownick – percussion (Let Us Go & Put It Back)
  Vincent Herring – alto saxophone (Let Us Go)

Choir:

• Aisha de Haas
• Audrey Martells
• Carolyn Leonhart
• Everett Bradley
• Keith Anthony Fluitt
• Jamie Leonhart
• Jamile
• JD Walter
• John James
• La Tanya Hall
• Tanesha Gary