Piano World Home Page Forums Other Keyboard Instruments Organs - Electronic (B3 etc.), Pipe, Theatre, & Reed Barbara Dennerlien

Having just come back from the Minneapolis American Guild of Organists Convention, one of the most memorable performances was Barbara Dennerlien playing jazz on the Visser-Rowland, four manual, 114 rank pipe organ. Besides being very sexy, that gal could play!! I was just amazed at the sounds that she got from a tracker organ. Pedal technique was fabulous. She is considered to be the premier jazz organist in the world and mostly plays on B-3 Hammonds. Michael Barron, who was the host for the Pipe Dreams Live Concert, interviewed her and she said that she is usually not allowed to play pipe organs in Europe! LOL I just wondered if anybody here has heard her or have any of her CDs.

I too attended the Minneapolis Convention. More and more these conventions highlight not just European classical music but also jazz and Latin-American music. I enjoyed Barbara Denerlien's performance and marveled at her natural ability to make the transition to the pipe organ.

This convention was truly an international event. I met people from Brazil, Germany and England. Our regional meeting during the convention had chapter reports from Singapore and Korea.

You were quite right to identify Dennerlein as the standout at that event. She may well rank as one of the top 3 jazz organists who ever lived. I would put her on an equal with Joey Defracesco and Jimmy Smith. Her pedal work is probably superior to both of those guys. As a jazz player, she tends slightly toward the technical (holy S#!+ what chops!) although her inprovisations are inspired. Her repertoire is primarily jazz. I have two of her albums, and I think there may be more. Check out YOUTUBE for some of her perfomances if you really want to get knocked over!

You got that right!! There are some incredible videos on YouTube of Barbara performing.
Clyde

Wonder how Barbara's incisive, fast improvisation would sound not on a _tracker_ pipe organ, but on one of those older grandiose pneumatic-servo-action 'orchestral' organs with lots of unequal delays...

how fun..

I've spent an hour watching her.

I loved this one.. How can someone be so talented and beautiful at the same time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvgsU-RuKlo&feature=related

Another German lady - maybe not as fast, jazzy and talented at random improvisation as Barbara D, but great at adapting complex pieces with orchestration to one instrument. And good-looking too: Claudia Hirschfeld.
She seems THE promotion figure for Wersi organs.

Jazz on a pipe organ! Lol Thats different. Im sure it was fun though!

I have always wanted to attend an AGO event. Never had the money or time! Ugh.

Might try one of those pipe organ camp things for kids. Tried to go one year but ended up going out of town. :P

AGO events our free in my town.. or with a free will donation.

they'd love of course, if you'd become a member for a minimal fee which offers many benefits.