Let’s talk organs.

My great grandma who I was lucky enough to grow up with played amazing ragtime piano for
the silent movies in Everett, Wa. My grandpa played church organ and had a love for early
technology. He was the only person I knew who owned a casio synthesizer in the 80’s He
would let me play it but only for 15 minutes at a time so I wouldn’t wear the C cell batteries out.
My mom and her mom both played piano so i caught the keyboard bug early on.

It’s really no surprise that I am a keyboard fanatic. I love the range of sounds you can create
and they way they all bring up a different feeling. I’ve bought sold and made recordings with a
plethora of keyboards here’s the short list; Juno 60, Juno 106, X5D, DX7, S80, Casio-Tone,
Casio AX-1 Keytar (attached to a Motif module) , Hammond M-100, A-100, M3, Fender Rhodes,
Wurlitzer EP 200a, Piano, Accordion . . and many others.

The latest and possibly greatest keyboard came into my life last year. It’s a 1960’s Italian made
Farfisa: Compact Duo. A dear family friend Andrew Myers was great keyboard player in Seattle
bands in the 70’s Andrew left this amazing keyboard to me when he passed last year and I’m
finally digging into all the Compact Duo’s potential. Wow!

The Farfisa like the hammond can create a massive sound. Especially when hooked up to a
Leslie (spinning) speaker. I always associated the farfisa with the Monkeys, on songs like “I’m a
Believer”. However it’s capable of so much more than that and it’s found on many great records
for that reason. Pink Floyd used one, the Doors and The Beatles to name a few.. It’s a Surf
Rock, Garage rock organ to the max!

This summer I’ve been enjoying not playing out as much. I’m getting more time to work on my
studio projects. It’s also proving to be a great opportunity to dig into the Farfisa and do some
writing. I’m very excited to see what unfolds here. You may have heard me use a Farfisa on the
Panda Conspiracy song “World of Hurt” and Jacob Bain’s Publish The Quest tune: “Then
What!?”. That’s the instrument I used to set up a nice groove for Femi Kuti to rip a burnin’ tenor
sax solo on!

There’s a world of new Synth’s being produced and a lot of VST instruments (computer based)
That sound unique and cool as well. I guess I just like the vibe of handmade instruments. I know
they’re bulky but there’s a ton of untapped potential and new ways to place these old sounds in
modern music. Some call it nostalgia, some say it’s passe’ but I’m a bit of a nerd and a die hard
rock and roll fan. Thanks for reading, I hope my post inspires you to go dig into your own
passion. Rock on!