Lance Anderson: 2B3

The Toronto Sessions

Keyboard/ piano/ organ veteran Lance Anderson's 2B3 is a series of Hammond B3 organ duets featuring Anderson, Doug Riley (the great Dr. Music,) Bill Payne (Little Feat), Michael Fonfara (Electric Flag), Denis Keldie, Rob Gusevs and Richard Bell of The Band. Colin Linden supplies guitar on half the songs. Other guitarists are Mitchell Lewis, John Tilden and Neil Chapman, the bassist is Dennis Pendrith and the drummer is Ritchie Hayward (Little Feat). All but the Little Featers are local Toronto guys.

2B3 includes versions of The Band's "Life Is A Carnival" and "King Harvest.", and also songs like the Rhinoceros' "Apricot Brandy" (so that Fonfara can reprise his big number,) Domenic Troiano's "Burnin' At The Stake", Jimmy McGriff's "All About My Girl," and Henry Glover's "Drown In My Own Tears."

Technically, 2B3 should probably be filed under "various artists" since Anderson, though it's his project and he produced it, plays on just two of 14 tracks. Anderson is so modest that he doesn't even give the CD an artist - just a list in the following order: "Doug Riley * Bill Payne * Michael Fonfara * Denis Keldie * Rob Gusevs * Lance Anderson featuring Ritchie Hayward, Colin Linden & Richard Bell." The only people to play on all cuts are bassist Dennis Pendrith and drummer Ritchie Hayward. Other personnel on "Life Is A Carnival" are Denis Keldie and Bill Payne on organs, Lance Anderson on clavinet, and John Tilden and Mitchell Lewis on guitars. On "King Harvest" it's Richard Bell and Keldie on organs, Colin Linden on slide guitar and Neil Chapman on guitar. Anderson also played and sang on the 1999 album Two Pianos, No Waiting, Vol. II from ex-Hawk Scott Cushnie.

John Donabie on 2B3: Toronto has always been known for it's abundance of great B3, C3 and 1 lone Lowery Organ greats.  In the 60's almost every local Band in the Toronto area had a B3 in the group.  They were heavy to carry; but were a very important part of the "Toronto Sound." Yes, Like Motown, Chicago Blues, and Beach music of the Carolinas....Toronto was first and foremost an R&B town.  From this wealth of musicians came some of the best organ players around including the magnificent Gordie Fleming of David Clayton Thomas and The Shays.  His brother Paul's wonderful art has been for sale on this site for quite some time.  Doug Riley, who has played with everyone from Ray Charles to Bob Seger (Piano in Night Moves) is a master of the keyboard.  Dennis Keldie is very reminiscent of the way Garth plays... constantly swaying back and forth and playing with the stops on the instrument.  Michael Fonfara who was a local legend in John & Lee and the Checkmates, went on for a stint in The Electric Flag.  Lance Anderson a local organ virtuoso is the brain child behind the album 2B3 Richard Bell most recently of The Band, Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band and Crowbar brought his amazing talent to an instrumental version of The Band's "King Harvest." Rounding out this CD is Colin Linden on Guitar, Ritchie Hayward of Little Feat and his cohort Mr. Bill Payne.  On bass is Bruce Cockburn's original bass player, Dennis Pendrith.  The object was to put two organists with their organs facing each other (no jokes please) and have a little "battle of the bands.  In this case it's our own Richard Bell and Dennis Keldie.  I hope you enjoy this. --John Donabie

 

Tracks

1. Hip Hug-her
2. High Heel Feat
3. Steel Onions
4. Life Is A Carnival (468K)
5. Gimme Some Lovin
6. Burnin' At The Stake
7. Apricot Brandy
8. King Harvest
9. Drown In My Own Tears
10. Hush
11. All About My Girl
12. One Love/ People Get Ready
13. Magic Carpet Ride

Lance Anderson - 2B3, The Toronto Sessions - 1999 - Calabogie Music