Chattanooga Choo Choo played by Lew Williams

[drepalla]

One of my favorite songs played on the Wurlitzer, would love to hear Lew at a concert.

[manga12]

some do, of course some people would have the rational that you would want it to slow down so people stay longer and eat more order more stuff.

[MyuuKitty]

I eat here all the time. I absolutely love the sound and power of the Wurlitzer

[manga12]

Oh that is a big organ, I have seen videos of this place before but never saw the chambers and chambers of pipes like this. Though He is playing it a bit fast , on I been working on the railroad, I bet if he wanted to he could play rock music on that theater organ, and play as fast as a gitarist playing something like thunderstruck or something like that.

[CAGEtrucker]

As my name states I am a trucker and see many places throughout my travels EVERY time I am home about every 6 weeks my family and I go to Organ Stop, heck I used to take High School date there, my wife was one of them.. Great place great memories.

[CAGEtrucker]

Some people are just well..... Comments about rudeness in a concert hall look up the place Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ. I have be going to this place for 30 years. They moved to this location in 1991 or 1992 when I was still in High School. I took dates to this place and had a blast. Ron Rhodes, Rob Richards, Charlie Blaylock and Lew Williams are all awesome. This is a FAMILY pizzeria restaurant not a concert hall you go for entertainment. Check it before unfounded comments are made.

[quinn244]

I've been to organ stop pizza before!!!!! It's amazing!!!!! It had been the first time I'd heard a theater organ live!!!!!!!

[greyantelope]

Lew is one of the most accomplished organists in the country and it must take a lot of self control to remain focused on playing against the constant din of witless chatter in the back ground.

[Audinos]

You have to hand it to this guy for his patience. People are so rude these days. Why would people come to a place where live music is being performed and continue to hold loud conversations? They even do this in school concerts when their own children are performing. If they want to talk while eating pizza, there's always Pizza Hut. I would go insane trying to perform in front of people like that.

[CAGEtrucker]

@Audinos look up Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa AZ no rudeness that is the atmosphere of the place, family entertainment while you eat ok pizza. Check it out it is a great place to take your family. Most of the organist are good and really enjoy the crowd.

[DLLMWL]

Wow, that organ's got a lot of bells and whistles. Very well played. I really need to get back out to Arizona so I can visit this place. Hope it's still there and they still play organ music

[Adamrc98]

anybody know what song the cats dance in?

[djdreamgirl]

You guys should be ashamed of yourselves!!! I'm going to AZ for South West Iowa Honor Marching Band and this is one of our stops...i'm so excited to go, but these comments are disgraceful! If he's one of the best in the world, then don't be buggin'. Be gald you got something to listen to, not some crapfest for the fainthearted...*douches* >:(- If you think he's crap why don't you try playing at his level. Just sayin.

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

Brilliant.

[rogerlux]

yawn..... he looks like he just snorted a muscle relaxer. he obviously hates his job.

[bmhall100]

@rogerlux Maybe he was concentrating on his job?!

[hankia92]

@rogerlux wow.....you probably have zero talent and have been put on this earth just waste space! How dare you! Lew is among the top rated organist in America. i would love to see you or anyone that has commented on this page do what this man can do! is that a challenge? i think so.

[rogerlux]

eh...kinda lame. all the production didn't warrant the performance.

[greyantelope]

You should be so lame. Lew was not performing in a concert hall but in a noisy pizzeria which he does almost daily all year round. He is among the top organists in the country and goes to great lengths to entertain everyone from dedicated organ buffs to the totally uninitiated. When we vacationed in Arizona, we had to must see venues on our itinerary, Organ Stop Pizza and the Grand Canyon, and in that order too.

[999Phineas]

wow he is amazing. I liked the begining.

[Xenophon821]

Lew Williams,... Has he ever played Organ for Uncle Milts pizza in Vancouver, WA?

[Halo1Buff]

Can't believe I missed this one before. The sound effects from the organ are creative and fantastic!

[theaterpipe1]

That was very well done! Very nice sounds and effects!

[Sjlviu]

very nice:X

[uwchlaw]

unbelievable!

[ono69]

great tennessee song- i live in tennessee!

[1rach5]

o.0 cool!!!! :P

[AVALONFANINVA]

good video

[bombarde1701]

This was on the CD from organ Stop as well as the DVD

[nmlooner]

I would LUV to hear telstar done on this! These are a fabuluous piece of history to be preserved and loved! BRAVO!

[deancook652]

God, I wish I had a dollar for every time I had to play this dratted tune at the various Pizza N' Pipes organs; oh, wait...I do! Or, did at least...all spent now!

[fancynancystillhasit]

Awesome!!!! Amazing!!!! that's all I can say

[quinn244]

i agree I'v been there its amazing

[ozarkarma]

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! And Wow! I want to hear Lew play in person!!!

[Foxybiker72]

This is the most amazing sight I have ever seen I have watched the Blackpool Tower ballroom Wurlitzer just go up and down over the years I have never seen a cinema organ twist and turn on it's lift before. I hope to see this with my own eyes 1 day in real life. So please if anyone has any more information about this organ and of it's location of this organ etc I would appreciate it

[aphennig]

This organ is located at "Organ Stop Pizza" in Mesa, Arizona. Lew is there many nights, and he truly does this stuff in his sleep. He plays a whole night's music (requests and all) without a note of music in front of him. It's amazing and dumbfounding.

[The14thDoctor]

I would LOVE to play that organ.

Only one thing...and I've said it before...that rotating stage would drive me nuts. I'm used to being on a stage that goes up and down (and even backwards) but side to side???

[latribe]

It's WONDERFUL! What fun! You'd play it that fast if you corkscrewed up through the floor like that too! Very disorientating. Brilliant toy counter!

[thunderflipper]

we had one of these pizza shops in Ct. where we used to live.. loved to go there.. the music was amazing to hear.. and watch. wish there was something close to Ohio like that.

[jacknphntmgrl]

i luv this place!!!!!

[COMALiteJ]

That's not just any organ. That's a Mighty Wurlitzer THEATRE Pipe Organ. It's nothing like a CHUCH (liturgical) pipe organ. The sound is NOT produced with electronics of any kind, analog nor digital. It's all air blown through pipes, plus bells, etc. triggered from the console (the thing with the keyboards that the performer sits at).

The actual organ is NOT the console, but the PIPES and such all around.

There are only a few of these still in operational existence. :-(

[oakberry61woohalol]

U can see all the pipes through that window.

[vttv11]

I must comment...I have heard Lew play many times. He is a world renowned theater organist. Remember, he is putting on a SHOW. The music played here must attract people, sell pizza and make money. No money, no organ. Please appreciate the talent it takes to play this fantastic instrument...both hands, both feet, changing registrations and putting up with the audience talking to each other all at the same time. Hats off to Lew, you are an accomplished organist and a great entertainer.

[steamrocks]

Playing and effects are WAY too rushed. Man, what kind of coffee does that pizza joynt serve anyway? High Octane! You can get a lot more 'feel', drama, and yes, even some 'soul' out of the piece if you take the tempo down, elimininate the choppiness, (a lazier 6/8 would be better and let some easy goin phraising do the talkin'. Trills and ornimentation could be slower, more accurate, and the audience would pick up more on all the detail he is putting into the playing.

[greyantelope]

With will due respect to your opinion, an artist who plays three or four sets night and many nights in a row at that for perhaps fifteen years, is not as inclined to stick to the right tempo as much as try to entertain a diverse audience during every show which is what he's getting paid to do. Its not a concert venue, at which I can assure you that he measures up to the best.

[steamrocks]

I do not just mean the 'numerical' tempo as much as the generally 'rushed' feel of the song. Listen to the original orchestral versions of this tune to hear the comparison (as British great Sydney Torch suggests). The tune has a groove to it, a term virtually unknown to theater organists, which is truly a shame. Let the tune swing a bit more easily, as in the original recording did. The groundwork is already laid. It could be a good swing jazz vehicle, not just a way to show off the toy counter.

[FourFootFagott]

Say what you will sperm-nuts...I LIKE it fast and furious, pumpin-n-jumpin! just the way Lew does it!

[steamrocks]

Before we get world war IV started here, I'd like to clarify my original remarks. The original version is an extremly clever swing orchestration and does not have the same train imitation intro to it. Since a steam engine does not 'chuff' in 6/8 time (unless its a Euro built 3 cylinder model or a 3 cylinder Shay Geared), the 4/4 segway is obvious, almost forced. A segway from chuff to a transcription of the swing version would REALLY show off Lew's talents, which this guy could do in his sleep.

[3dwurli]

@steamrocks the audience isnt there to pick out and listen to every little note in detail, they have come to eat and be entertained.

[milofire]

He looks like an audioanimatronic, lol. He's real huh? PeacexXx!!!

[greyantelope]

His demeanor belies the level of skill and concentration involved in playing at his level, not to mention the years of practice that went into developing his talent.

[COMALiteJ]

That's called "artistry" — not only doing something that's so demanding so incredibly well, but making it look EASY in the bargain!

[Adamrc98]

@milofire Hes totally real I have seen him in person

[grandplans]

that sounded cool. I really don't like the sound of organ that much but this was really cool!

[CircaRigeI]

Heh... it's not your typical organ. The 1920's theater organ is basically a consul that can be connected with MANY different instruments, including piano, organ, woodwinds, chimes, kaliope, train whistle, bells, drums, symbols, etc. It's basically the world's first synthesizer... except that nothing is synthesized.

[CircaRigeI]

I used to go to the very first Pizza parlor with a theater organ... Ye Ole Pizza Joynt... all the rest came after. Loved the place, and this was my favorite song there. Unfortunately, it burned down a few years ago, although it's my understanding that the owners do have a backup Wurlitzer organ and are working on restoring the one that was in the fire. Their organ came from the Berkeley Paramount, I believe.

[COMALiteJ]

That's a tragedy indeed about the fire that burned down Ye Ole Pizza Joynt and its organ. :-(

[TimTaylor27]

aayyy, this is great, i love this dude.

[treb1986]

the man is an orcastra all by his lonesome:p

[tikidude6]

not sure if this has anything to do with anything but you see a curtain in the middle on the top of the video. Im just here to say that that is in fact where puppets come out and do skits as well as dancing during some of the songs

[WingsWinTheCup]

I sure do miss having the "Roaring 20's Pizza" in Grand Rapids, MI.

[samanthatina]

I used this song at my recent wedding.

[budman42034]

he is great!!!!

[idok00]

Lew just keeps getting better and better!!

[budman42034]

yes he does

[Organgrinder010]

Marvelous! 5-stars!

[tempetiger]

I live in Tempe and go to Organ Stop to hear Lew. You just have to be there to hear the power of this organ. The beginning of Chattanooga Choo-Choo uses bass pipes that literally vibrate the building!

[captainleisuresuit]

Awesome! Where is this show performed?

[greyantelope]

Lew is shown playing at the Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona which is a suburb of Phoenix. Its a great and friendly place designed specifically to house their Wurlitzer pipe organ. I highly it.

[COMALiteJ]

But how good is the pizza? ;-)

[FuzzyElf]

@COMALiteJ The pizza is mediocre. Not bad. The entertainment is tops! I've only been once; but I really want to go back. If I lived in or near Mesa / Tempe instead of in Texas, I would certainly be going back.

[JonasClark]

Wow! Great vid. Lew Williams is even better in person, on this incredible organ!

[m4dan]

Yes! I saw the concert today and I had the pleasure of meeting Lew yesterday while he was practicing before Bro. Rob and I tuned the organ.  Look for a video of Lew Williams and I on youtube (I'm not playing the concert just open console). Someone from NYTOS said he'd post a video.

[chaz1138]

Lew definitely rules. So what's the lucky school?

[greyantelope]

Lew will be playing at Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY, as posted in the 'about the video'.

[m4dan]

I'm sure I will. I can't wait to see him play.

[m4dan]

He's playing at my school on sunday.

[greyantelope]

I hope that you enjoy him.

[budman42034]

really

[Kiddman32]

Lew's da MAN!

[budman42034]

yes he is!!