Blues Thick as Smoke on Solid State
Jimmy McGriff's Hammond organ lays down a deep, grinning blues groove that never apologizes for being simple.
A Bag Full of Blues came out in 1967 on Solid State, a label that gave McGriff a home for a run of organ-trio records aimed squarely at the soul-jazz crowd. By this point he had found his formula: a Hammond B-3 carrying the bass lines, a tight small group behind it, and a repertoire built on blues heads and dance-floor grooves. This record sits comfortably inside that approach rather than pushing against it.
What you hear is McGriff doing what he does best, swinging hard with no frills and plenty of grease. The organ is loud, round and a little gruff, and the tunes lean on riff-driven blues phrasing that rewards repeated listening more than close analysis. It is not a record that reinvents anything, and it does not need to. The pleasure is in the feel of the groove and the way the organ breathes against the drums.
If you are new to McGriff, this is a fine entry point into his Solid State period, though it is more useful as a representative example than as a peak. Start with a stronger record from the same run if you want the full range of his writing, and come back to this one once you know what the formula sounds like at its best.
