Joey DeFrancesco

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Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco on Oran.jpg
Background information
Born (1971-04-10)April 10, 1971
Springfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died August 25, 2022 (aged 51)
Genres Jazz, bebop
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Hammond organ, piano, keyboards, trumpet, tenor saxophone
Years active 1988–2022
Labels Blue Note, Columbia, Concord, Mack Avenue, Highnote,[1]Muse,[2] Prestige[2]
Associated acts Miles Davis, Papa John DeFrancesco, Jimmy Smith
Website joeydefrancesco.com

Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971 – August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist and occasional singer.[3] He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz performers as trumpeter Miles Davis, saxophonist Houston Person and guitarist John McLaughlin.[4] DeFrancesco signed his first record deal at the age of 16 and over the years has recorded and toured internationally with David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, Frank Wess, Benny Golson, James Moody, Steve Gadd, Danny Gatton, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, George Benson, Pat Martino, Tony Monaco, John Scofield, Lee Ritenour, Joe Lovano, and done prominent session work with a wide variety of musicians including Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Janis Siegel, Diana Krall, Jimmy Smith, and Van Morrison.[5][6][7]

Early life and education

Joey DeFrancesco was born in 1971 in Springfield, Pennsylvania.[8] He was born into a musical family that included three generations of jazz musicians. He was named after his grandfather, Joseph DeFrancesco, a jazz musician who played the saxophone and clarinet.[6] His father, "Papa" John DeFrancesco, was an organist who played nationally and received the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame's Living Legend Award in 2013.[9] DeFrancesco began playing the organ at the age of 4 and was playing songs by Jimmy Smith verbatim by the time he was 5. His father John began taking him to gigs from the age of 5, letting him sit in on sets.[10] At the age of 10, DeFrancesco joined a band in Philadelphia that included jazz musicians Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones. He was considered a fixture at local jazz clubs, opening shows for Wynton Marsalis and B.B. King.[11]

Joey DeFrancesco attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. There he studied music specializing in piano and organ.[10] During his high school years, DeFrancesco won numerous awards, including the Philadelphia Jazz Society McCoy Tyner Scholarship. He was a finalist in the first Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.[3]

Career

Joey Defrancesco on the Hammond organ in 2002.

Recording

Joey DeFrancesco was 16 years old when he signed an exclusive recording contract with Columbia Records. The following year he released his first record, titled All of Me. His performance on All of Me has been attributed as helping bring back the organ to jazz music during the 1980s.[3] That same year, DeFrancesco joined Miles Davis and his band on a five-week concert tour in Europe.[12] He followed up with playing keyboard on Davis' album Amandla, which reached No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart in 1989.[4] DeFrancesco started playing the trumpet around the same time, inspired by the sound of Davis.[13] DeFrancesco was originally spotted by Davis during a performance on the television show called Time Out.[14] He was performing on the set along with high school classmate Christian McBride when Davis asked the show's host, "what's your organ player's name", referring to DeFrancesco.[14] DeFrancesco's recording deal with Columbia included the release of 5 albums. In addition to All of Me, he released Where Were You in 1990, Part III in 1991, Reboppin in 1992, and Live at the 5 Spot in 1993.

Touring

DeFrancesco began touring with his own quartet at the age of 18. In the early 1990s, he began collaborating with John McLaughlin, former guitarist for Miles Davis and the leader of Mahavishnu Orchestra. At the age of 22, he became a founding member of the group The Free Spirits, along with McLaughlin and drummer Dennis Chambers. He toured with the group for 4 years and was part of several recordings, including the albums Tokyo Live and After the Rain.[15] DeFrancesco is also credited with playing trumpet on the Tokyo Live album.[16]

Joey DeFrancesco playing at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in 2010.

In 1999, DeFrancesco recorded his album Incredible! Live at the San Francisco Jazz Festival.[17] The album featured a performance by his idol Jimmy Smith, who joined DeFrancesco for two songs.[17] In 2004, DeFrancesco recorded Legacy, an album that also featured Jimmy Smith.[17] The album was Smith's last recording; he died the same year.[4]

DeFrancesco was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for his record Falling in Love Again. DeFrancesco's career shifted slightly in 2009 with the film Moonlight Serenade, starring Amy Adams and Alec Newman. He played the role of "Frank D" in the film and was also credited as a composer and producer of the film. DeFrancesco was nominated for another Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson.[4] The recording was released in 2010 as a tribute to Michael Jackson. Some other DeFrancesco tribute albums include a tribute to Frank Sinatra titled "Joey DeFrancesco plays Sinatra his way" and another tribute to Jimmy Smith. DeFrancesco also turned 40 in 2011, celebrating by releasing his 29th recording titled 40, which had success both on jazz charts domestically and in Europe.[4]

File:Joey DeFrancesco at NAMM 2022 20220603 151727.jpg
Joey DeFrancesco playing saxophone at NAMM 2022

Music style

DeFrancesco's music style was referred to as a swinging Philly sound which he "embellished with his own ferocity and improvisation."[14] He played 200-plus nights a year throughout the course of his career, a feat that he cut back on as of 2013.[18] He received numerous accolades for his performances, including being called the best B3 player on the planet by JazzTimes.[19] The New York Times described DeFrancesco as a "deeply authoritative musician, a master of rhythmic pocket, and of the custom of stomping bass lines beneath chords and riffs."[1] Chicago Tribune praised the musicianship of DeFrancesco, stating that "He dominated the instrument and the field as no one of his generation has.[20]” DeFrancesco was also involved in musical instrument development, especially product designs and endorsements related to technological advancements in digital keyboards and electronic organ both in the United States and internationally.[21]

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“Mr. DeFrancesco is a deeply authoritative musician, a master of rhythmic pocket, and of the custom of stomping bass lines beneath chords and riffs.” - New York Times [1][20]

Multi-instrumentalist

As a Multi-instrumentalist, Joey DeFrancesco recorded on various keyboards (including acoustic & electric piano), and trumpet. Although best known as a jazz organist, DeFrancesco also performed as a singer, and (since about 2018), a saxophonist.

Awards and honors

Joey DeFrancesco was a four time Grammy Award-nominee, with more than 30 recordings as a leader. In addition to Grammy nominations in 2004, 2010, and 2020, DeFrancesco was a 9-time winner of the Down Beat Critics Poll (organ) and won the Down Beat Readers Poll every year since 2005. He won a number of JazzTimes Awards as well.[22] DeFrancesco was an inaugural member of the Hammond Hall of Fame, inducted in 2013 along with other musicians that included Brian Auger, Billy Preston, Steve Winwood, and his mentor Jimmy Smith.[23]

Discography

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Main article: Joey DeFrancesco discography

The discography of Joey DeFrancesco consists of albums released on Columbia, Muse, Highnote, Big Mo Records, Concord Jazz, Doodlin' Records, and Mack Avenue.[2]

Personal life

In addition to their father and grandfather, DeFrancesco's brother Johnny is also a musician, focusing on blues guitar.[12]

Joey DeFrancesco died on August 25, 2022, from causes yet unknown.[24]

See also

Further reading

References

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External links

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