Jelani Eddington plays Of Thee I Sing on the Wurlitzer organ

[bfs1888]

wow,,,,nice to see hands all over the keyboards for a change, and your pre set stops,,,,great feet action,,,,,all of it,,,,great player!!!!!!!!!!!

[mudog35]

he needs to come to houston texas!

[DLLMWL]

Wonderful playing. This guy rocks the theatre organ! This organ must have the equivalent of a sustain pedal on a piano. Several times during this piece, I saw his hands leave the keys to change registration or move to another manual, and the chord he had let go of continued to play. Great technical addition to the organ.

[flyurway]

He played our 4/21 Wurlitzer here in Rochester about 6 weeks ago and did an awesome job. Great performer, great entertainer, damn nice guy too.

[5tabemol]

UFF COMO SE LLAMA ESTO?... CUANTO COSTARA!! $

[aihoschema]

This man is absolutely awesome! I find it so important to bring the world of theatre organ music to younger generations. Music in general would be declining into nothingness if it wasn't for people like Jelani (and others in differend fields of course). There is so much to re-learn from (almost) lost arts. I find it surprising how "authentic" (to my humble knowledge) Jelani sounds, and yet there is a vibe to his playing which doesn't make it sound dated at all. Fantastic!!!

[MrKeys57]

@aihoschema - can´t say anything else, that i totally agree!

[michael72401]

@aihoschema Ditto Mr Keys.

[perfectjazz78]

@aihoschema Agreed, Great music  will never sound dated, just a great art never looks dated

[StuartLou]

THE BEST!!! I love his playing. He's amazing- got it all. uncle louie

[TerumiHana]

I've worked on the set of Of Thee I Sing, and i'm happy to say he's done such a brilliant job of bringing the song to life on the Organ. Wonderful!

[chem100]

1:07 mind boggling!!!

[wistful12345]

Technically, a master. What more can one ask?

I count only 5 great theater organists available to us today, and he is one of them!

Wistful

[flyurway]

@wistful12345 Who are the other 4?

[daveplomin]

THis guy is one of the best today!!! Hope to see you if you EVER visit Indianapolis!

[lithium3fun]

This is amazing. It's the video I use to explain what a theater pipe organ is.

[tempo78]

I LOVE HIM. He's the best. What a great sound!

uncle louie

[dapperdave44]

He makes it look so effortless. He is one of the greats, no doubt about it.

[Robby8691]

Lynn Larson is a fine player, and I have had the pleasure of watching him in recital. But, nothing can compare to the thrill I had sitting in the front row and watching George Wright.

[tempo78]

... he's adorable. The best!

[Gillyyorkie]

Jelani Eddington ROCKS! I wish I could play like him !

[Classicalytrained]

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol i envy people with the ability to bring the house down with a fantastic performance like that, my friend agrees totaly ( yes thats right ben you do!)

[chem100]

1:09 to 1:12 -- how on earth does he do that?! Best organist I have ever heard.

[62748152]

He is truly the Reginald Dixon of today. I am only 16 from the U.K and listened to Reg's tapes, now i play the organ for concerts when i'm not at college. The current Blackpool organists are NO MATCH compared to Jelani. I just wish one day god will bless me so i can play like him. No ones ever impressed me exept Reg until now. He MUST BE truly the best Organist in the World. Thank you for posting, kind regards, Paul.

[compton357]

Reginald dixon was NOTHING compared to this. He was of course a great success, but much of that lays upon where he played. I find quite alot of his stuff quite amatuerish.

Jelanni is probably the best there is, best there has been for a long time at least!

[62748152]

Well, in my opinion and thousands more Reginald Dixon and Jessie Crawford were the foundation of the theatre organ. To prove my point, listen to 'the storm' by Reginald Dixon on youtube and then come back and say that he was nothing compared to mr eddington. Mr Eddington is the best of modern times, yes. but the scolars of the instrument will still be distinguished more. Kind Regards, Paul.

[3dwurli]

@62748152 Dixon still ranks in the top. Especially the early stuff. Nice, clean, simple playing, and with a nice bouncy, happy style. And he gave people what he wants. I dont think there has been, or ever will be, an organist whos been heard as much as Dixon has.

[KE5RHD]

Jelani knows Wurlitzers and it shows. He combines a sum total of experience as a concert pianist with second touch features and a thorough understanding of acoustical theory. I guess what I'm saying is that any pianist can come in and press tabs and keys but Jelani understands the craft.

[kc9mav]

Looks like ham radio operators share the same interest in music my friend!

[KawhackitaRag]

HOW DOES HE DO THAT?!? It's too bad they don't have theatre organ "cutting contests" like the Harlem stride pianists had... I'll bet Jelani could cut George Wright!

[tammyjc15]

I absolutley love the beautiful chord he plays at 2:01, tremendous! :)

[OrganCat]

I keep listening to this clip over and over and never get tired of it. It always gives me a lift. The arrangement, registrations, technique and overall joy in this piece are wonders to behold. Sometimes I jokingly refer to it as 'George Wright, but with manners'.

[rdadal]

Leon Berry was from the Chicago area. He played for the roller rinks around Chicago. He had an entire theater organ rebuilt in his basement. He had one album titled, "Beast In the Basement."

[myszka1uk]

I am 46 from the UK. An ex DJ who loves club music and Jazz. When I was 14 my elder brother got an album by a guy named Leon Berry at the Giant Wurlitzer and I loved it. As far as playing keyboards goes I can manage to play chopsticks. Listening to this guy is just awesome. I would sooner listen to him play this magnificent instrument than club music any day. Before my days on this planet are done I will be in the United States to listen to one of these for real. Excellent work Jelani.

[aihoschema]

Beautiful! I am happy knowing that there are people dedicated to maintain these unique theater organs. It takes two kind of people. the craftsman (to restore and maintain the instrument) and the arrist (to play it). Oh, I forgot the most important - without that person nothing would be possible: the one who pays for both. Thanks to all of you!!!

[daveplomin]

I have a couple of his CDS. MAN, HE'S THE BEST ORGANIST TODAY!!! So alive with character! Like Vic Mizzy!!!

[mizushimaqatsi]

Yes he seems to be the best theatre organist today... with Lyn LARSEN of course :-)

does anyone know Lyn LARSEN here ?

[deancook652]

I've talked with him a few times; did you know he's retired from the circuit due to a medical problem? Shame, one of the most tasteful player out there.

[davidgray2]

Jelani and Lyn Larsen are of course two of the very top, shining gems in the theatre organ craft. Flawless playing from every angle.But a person who ranks even higher in my opinion is Jim Roggs-however there is nothing of his truly spectacular solo stuff here on youtube. He has no perfect facility to show off, but he goes in to his music head first, fearless of mistakes and eccentricities, to pull off a frighteningly powerful performance. Stunning original style. You should check him out people!

[ednayarkspay]

I think you meant Jim Riggs, not Roggs.

[JonasClark]

And besides, if what you really prefer, fgfrrrrr, is liturgical organ sound, switch off the trems, draw the right stops, and (listen at 2:12) a classical organ rises out of the Wurlitzer.

[RedVoxVulpes]

I was personally never fond of the classical pipe organ (as in 2:12) however, to each their own. I play full trem, all the way. =)

[JonasClark]

Agreed, not the least bit bizarre. Theatre organs have a signature sound that is unlike all other pipe organs, but was intended to be theAtrical and orchestral, as opposed to the Principal-and-diapason sound of church organs. Add to that a few stops only found on theatre organs... As unlike a church organ that it is, a lush chorus of Tibia Clausa, a stopped wood with leathered lips, with heavy trem is nothing short of magical.

[aihoschema]

Isn't principal and open diapason the exact same? The traditional church organs also have the "gedackt" (= stopped) square diameter wooden pipes as part of their signature sound. I think American theater organs make the difference because of higher wind pressures (producing some more "throaty" stops) the vibrato/tremolo and the perfectly aligned overones to allow for some very complex combinations without any musical/audible conflict. Not to mention the percussion.

[brittmusic]

AMAZINGLY AWESOME!!! Kudos, great job. And kudos to this baptist church for having this organ and keeping an awesome american instrument alive.

[manga12]

this guy can really play that look at him go to town and utalize all the sounds of it.

[kinura4]

Excellent! I like the way Jelani uses the sustain on the great manual.He is the best I have seen. You think this is great listening, You should hear one in person. The presence just cannot be recorded. Come close, but not the real thing

[fredbird67]

I can personally attest to this. I've heard a theatre organ live twice in my life -- once at the now-defunct Paramount Music Palace in Indianapolis, and the other time at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO (near Branson), and there is indeed a warmth to it that you can only hear live and in-person.

[macvoxman]

A fabulous artist - playing one of the greatest instruments ever created - the theatre pipe organ.

This is an example of Americana at its finest.

[paranormaalutrecht]

vERY, VERY, VERY VERY VERY GOOD, VERY BEAUTIFULLL AWESOME... LET THE DUMBTALK. They have the brains of a mouse.... :)and no feeling for REAL music! :)

THIS IS GREAT!

[acchos]

i get it all the time from m8`s, they dont see teh point in it all, till they hear it beat the crap out of there cd players. Then they want one.

[fgfrrrrrrr]

A bizarre Sound, A bizarre organ.

[acchos]

its not bizarre, these organs used to be in nearly every cinema in the western world. the were used to replace the orchestra during the silent movie days as it cost less to have one of these and an organist than to have an orchestra. Look up theatre organ and u`ll find loads of videos of them.

[acchos]

i know, but the organ seems to have this black cloud hanging over it and people dont appreciate its value in the music world, without it moderm keyboards wouldnt exist.

[gorbidog]

Fantabulous ... just impeccable musicianship!!!

[WillardPugh]

As always, a terrific arrangement played flawlessly. Keep on posting these vids---they do a great service to our art.

JPR