By Todd Lavoie
Who doesn’t love the organ? (Ah, hush – you know what I meant! Minds out of the gutter, you dirty birdies – we’re talking music here.)
Yes, that organ – y’know, ebony and ivory and the whole bit. Ah, the Hammond – where would we be without it? Somewhere far, far less soulful, that’s for sure. Truth be told, if push came to shove, I’d have to stick the instrument up there near the top of my list of sounds-I-can’t-do-without. And while I’m in the list-making mood and all, I might as well make myself another one and plunk Spooner Oldham’s name atop the upper tier of all-time best organists ever.
Not only did the man help architect the iconic Muscle Shoals soul sound of the ’60s – creating some heart-stopping classics in the process – but he’s remained just as prolific and influential ever since. Take a trawl through your CD stacks, and chances are, you’ll find his name in the liner notes somewhere. Recent examples? Hmm, how about Bettye LaVette’s The Scene of the Crime (Anti), Cat Power’s Jukebox (Matador), Drive-By Truckers’ Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (New West)?