Organ Celebrities 22. BUDDY COLE

Enthusiasts built theatre organs ... and then there was Buddy Cole! The world of music lost one of its finest all round musicians when Buddy passed away. He did however leave behind a handful of recordings of his famous Wurli-Morton organ which nobody thought to try and preserve. His music however, lives on. NOTE: THIS IS AN AMENDED EDITION WITH CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kings
• Sisters.
• Edwin
• La
• Mar
• Cole.
• Wurli-Morton.

[gramrfone]

Four of his early Hammond sessions on the Warner Bros label are now available on a double CD. Jasmine Label JASCD 185. Titles are HAVE ORGAN WILL SWING / SWING FEVER / POWER HOUSE / HOT & COLE.

[euni1]

I am Buddy Cole's daughter Cathy. It's wonderful to see this after so many years. As well as his brilliant organ work, my dad was a wonderful Pianist. The piano piece used in this youtube is Cole Porter's "So in Love" from dad's album "Cole Plays Cole". Much of his Live and studio work was on piano. In 1940, years B4 I was born, he purchased a beautiful 1927 Louis XIV Steinway B series. When he died I inherited it and it sits in a place of honor in my home to this day.

Ahhh- Memories!

[gramrfone]

@euni1 Hi Cathy. This is the second time in days that I have discovered that family members of an artist have seen my videos. If only I had of known how to contact you when I was compiling it!. I searched for photos of your Dad but they all seemed to be Copyrighted to Getty Images. If you care to get in touch with me direct I think I will have some more news for you that might make you even happier.

[gramrfone]

Have been contacted by Mike Bryant who indicates that Buddy recording under the name of Collins Driggs would be untrue, as Driggs was an organist in his own right! To back this up, he sent me photos & press cuttings of Mr Driggs with a further suggestion that at the time Buddy would only have been 10 -12 years of age.The maiden name of Buddys first wife Yvonne ( of the Kings Sisters) was Driggs, so it could be where the connection was eroneously perpetuated.

[DoninPS]

The Buddy Cole organ wen tto the Cap'n's Galley pizza Parlor in Campbell, CA, where it was played (and recorded) by myself, Tom Hazleton and John Seng. When that place closed it was "cannibalized" and the best parts of it became part of the organ in the Serramonte Pizza Parlor, also in the SF Bay Area. The remainder of it was combined with some other ranks and sold to a party in England. What they got was therefore NOT the original Cole organ.

[gramrfone]

@DoninPS. Thank you for that clarification. It has been suspected that despite it being publicized and known as the Buddy Cole organ, the UK installation was not the complete Wurli-Morton as heard on those famous recordings. Hence my comment.

[OzzieJohnFerguson]

What an outstanding musician and organist Buddy was. He was way ahead of time and in theatre organ circles the worlds finest artists these days are just catching up with some of his arrangements and outstanding harmonies.

[rcca07]

@euni1

Memories is right.Hi Cathy, love your dad's style of playing, I got into dance bands from my dad's time. He knew George Wright. I met Bill Langford that played a the Ye olde Pizza Joint in Hayward, use to do his yard for side money, yes he gave me some lesson on the pipe organ, now am in my 60's, yes the good old days, memories.

[ka3zci]

Cathy, if you don't have the album I'll send you a CD when I get it onto the computer and the sound is cleaned up. You can even feel the vibration of that pipe organ. My former boss had one in his office so I've experienced the feel of the compressor. Let me know or email me at ka3zci@yahoo.com. I'll be happy to get it to you.

[ka3zci]

I have a vinyl copy of Buddy Cole's last album. I don't recall the title but it was all big band songs with original orchestrations and sidemen. It's scratchy but with new audio technology I'll be able to hear it in original quality - esp. Song of India. Wow! What an album!

[paulj0557]

Oh', I was referring to 'Waltz in G' in my comment below.

[paulj0557]

Wow! The piece at the end had string tones that I've never heard so clearly on a pipe organ. That brilliant ear of Cole's certainly was lent to making quite an amazing organ. Even if he didn't use his own organ on this recording something tells me Buddy Cole could coax out of any pipe organ tones never thought to be there. Now that, is registration mastery!