Don Patterson (organist)
Encyclopedia
Don Patterson was an American jazz
organist.
Patterson played piano from childhood and was heavily influenced by Erroll Garner
in his youth. In 1956, he switched to organ after hearing Jimmy Smith
play the instrument. In the early 1960s, he began playing regularly with Sonny Stitt
, and he began releasing material as a leader on Prestige Records
from 1964 (with Pat Martino
and Billy James as sidemen). His most commercially successful album was 1964's Holiday Soul, which reached #85 on the Billboard 200
in 1967. Patterson's troubles with drug addiction hobbled his career in the 1970s, during which he occasionally recorded for Muse Records
and lived in Gary, Indiana
. In the 1980s he moved to Philadelphia and made a small comeback, but his health deteriorated over the course of the decade, and he died there in 1988.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
organist.
Patterson played piano from childhood and was heavily influenced by Erroll Garner
Erroll Garner
Erroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard...
in his youth. In 1956, he switched to organ after hearing Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
play the instrument. In the early 1960s, he began playing regularly with Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt
Edward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
, and he began releasing material as a leader on Prestige Records
Prestige Records
Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
from 1964 (with Pat Martino
Pat Martino
Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, fusion, mainstream jazz, soul jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...
and Billy James as sidemen). His most commercially successful album was 1964's Holiday Soul, which reached #85 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1967. Patterson's troubles with drug addiction hobbled his career in the 1970s, during which he occasionally recorded for Muse Records
Muse Records
Muse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
and lived in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. In the 1980s he moved to Philadelphia and made a small comeback, but his health deteriorated over the course of the decade, and he died there in 1988.
Discography
- Goin' Down Home (Cadet RecordsCadet RecordsCadet Records was started as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK...
, 1963) - Patterson's People (Prestige RecordsPrestige RecordsPrestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
, 1964) - Hip Cake Walk (Prestige, 1964)
- The Exciting New Organ of Don Patterson (Prestige, 1964)
- Holiday Soul (Prestige, 1964)
- Satisfaction (Prestige, 1965)
- The Boss Men (Prestige, 1965)
- Soul Happening (Prestige, 1966)
- Mellow Soul (Prestige, 1967)
- Four Dimensions (Prestige, 1967)
- Boppin' and Burnin (Prestige, 1968)
- Dem New York Dues (Prestige, 1968)
- Opus De Don (Prestige, 1968)
- Funk You (Prestige, 1968)
- Oh, Happy Day! (Prestige, 1969)
- Brothers-4 (Prestige, 1969)
- Donny Brook (Prestige, 1969)
- Tune Up (Prestige, 1969)
- The Genius of the B-3 (Muse RecordsMuse RecordsMuse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
, 1972) - These Are Soulful Days (Muse, 1973)
- Movin' Up (Muse, 1977)
- Why Not (Muse, 1978)