Last updated: 4 hours ago
Inspired to switch from piano to organ by <a href="spotify:artist:5GXruybcLmXPjR9rKKFyS6">Jimmy Smith</a>, Don Patterson was one of the Hammond B-3's most bop-rooted players, able to play bluesy soul-jazz grooves or break out of the pocket for some nimble, sharply defined solo lines. Though he led numerous recording dates for Prestige and later Muse, he was best-known as <a href="spotify:artist:217b0uqAzsOOhGcnoANZqj">Sonny Stitt</a>'s favorite organist, proving eminently compatible with the <a href="spotify:artist:4Ww5mwS7BWYjoZTUIrMHfC">Parker</a>-influenced saxophonist. Patterson was born in Columbus, OH, on July 22, 1936, and began studying piano as a child. His first major influence was <a href="spotify:artist:6C65D20ASusYqHGSIktfED">Erroll Garner</a>, and some of that flavor remained in his playing even after he heard <a href="spotify:artist:5GXruybcLmXPjR9rKKFyS6">Jimmy Smith</a> in 1956 and changed instruments. Patterson made his professional debut on the organ in 1959, and played with a number of groups before <a href="spotify:artist:217b0uqAzsOOhGcnoANZqj">Stitt</a> discovered him. The association helped make Patterson's name, and he began recording for Prestige in 1964, often with a trio featuring guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:4DlMMgnldzX6OkCskmeGKz">Pat Martino</a> and drummer Billy James. Patterson also played with numerous other soul-jazz sax greats over the course of the '60s, before settling in Gary, IN, toward the end of the decade. Drug addiction curtailed his recording activities somewhat, as only a few sporadic sessions for Muse appeared during the '70s. He did revive his career somewhat after moving to Philadelphia, but his health worsened, forcing him to take dialysis frequently; he died on February 10, 1988. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
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