Freddie Roach

One of the more underrated soul-jazz organists of the '60s, Freddie Roach recorded a series of seven albums for Blue Note and Prestige. Where his contemporaries played hard-driving, bluesy soul-jazz, Roach's approach was more textured and shaded. He was capable of blistering leads, but he was more interested in dynamics, harmonics and tonal color. As his career progressed, he became more interested in funky grooves, but his knack for tasteful, shaded solos and support never subsided. Freddie Roach was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on May 11, 1931. His mother was a church organist, and many of his relatives on his maternal side were also musical. Roach grew up in several cities as a child, living with a variety of relatives. At the age of eight, he was living with his aunt in White Plains, New York when he began playing the pipe organ. Over the next few years, he taught himself how to play the organ and piano, eventually studying at the Newark Conservatory for one term. In his late teens, he began playing professionally, joining Grachan Moncur's group the Strollers. At the age of 20, he joined the Marine Corps and stayed for two years, playing in the band. Following his discharge in 1953, Roach returned to jazz, settling in Canada for a short while before returning to the New York area. He soon hit the road, playing piano and organ with Chris Columbus, Cootie Williams and Lou Donaldson. By the end of the decade, he had decided to concentrate on organ. He settled in Newark, New Jersey, where he regularly played with his own band and as a solo act. He often jammed at the Club 83 with musicians like Kenny Dorham, Cannonball Adderley and Jackie McLean. But the key musical association for Roach was tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec, who asked the organist to join...