Three Spirituals for Organ in Jazz Style - Balm in Gilead

Joe Utterback (1944), jazz pianist and composer, native of Kansas, has performed in concert throughout the United States and Europe. His jazz-influenced compositions reflect the energy, color, and moods of his jazz piano improvisations and formal classical training. The idiom is tonal, the melodies vocal in nature. Utterback draws on jazz and blues traditions, Romantic and Impressionist colors, and, at times, gospel styles. His style has been highly influenced by Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, and Erroll Garner. He also includes among his favorite influential jazz musicians Sarah Vaughan and Charlie Parker. Joe's compositions reflect these influences; they also evidence a highly unique personal style. Joe composes for solo piano, organ, chorus, harpsichord, vocal solo, piano and organ duet, instrumental ensembles, and student jazz piano. His works are published exclusively by Jazzmuze, Inc. The composer's compositions have been premiered in such venues as London's Wigmore Hall, the Salzburg Mozarteum, Madrid's Teatro Nacional, Austrian castles, the Dayton Art Museum, Princeton and Harvard Universities, New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, and London's Westminster Cathedral, among others. He holds degrees from Wichita State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

I've had these for a long time, but never took the time to learn them. I came across them the other day, and thought I'd give them a try... ;-) I'm glad I did! :-)

"Three Spirituals in Jazz Style" were published in 1993. The first, "Balm Gilead" is titled as a "Ballad", and is: "Dedicated to Vance Harper Jones".

The appeal is immediate, and I think this music works very well on the Bätz organ in Utrecht.

While the organ doesn't have the "expression" that an "Amercian classic organ" would have, the sounds are beautiful, and the acoustic helps to "carry" the jazzy/bluesy sounds.