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Rick Allen is an Hammond organ player who lives in Lacombe in the state of Louisiana. A small city that was hit on the 29th of August by hurricane Katrina. Lacombe is situated on the other side of lake Pontchartrain, about 40 km outside New Orleans. Over a period of more then four years I'm corresponding very intensively with Rick. Both Rick and me are of the same age, jazz, blues and Hammond fanatics and like good food and drinks. That creates a link. We even look a little bit the same way. We were corresponding almost twice a week, sometimes even more. Due to Katrina our e-mail contact was roughly disturbed at the 29th of August. On maps I could see that Katrina had followed a path that went straight over Lacombe, and that fact did me fear for the worst. What came on the news from that area wasn't very optimistic to. Contact by phone of internet was impossible but after four weeks I received a message from Rick's grandson, that his grandparents were safe and sound. I decided to write some letters hoping that one might reach them. In the third week of October Rick received one of those letters and immediately wrote me back By the way, it was the first letter he was able to post! He wrote that he and his wife Anne were not injured, but their house was severe damaged by fallen trees, the shed was wrecked and the fence disappeared. They did have any electricity and they were living from army-supplies handed out by the Red Cross. To describe the situation in one word: Disaster. Rick is insured but not with a hundred percent coverage against this kind of disasters. Join this by the fact that it will be out of the question for the coming time that he can continue his work as a studio musician in New Orleans and the disaster is complete. I have the feeling that all financial help will be welcomed and I started a campaign to support Rick, by selling his Cd: B3 King of New Orleans. All the proceeds minus the -minimal- costs will go to Rick and his wife. About the cd. "Rick Allen B3 King, recorded in New Orleans" Rick record shows a gigantic career in blues and pop music. He played and recorded with among others, Dr. John, Etta James, Rod Stewart, The Doobie Brothers, Delanay and Bonnie Bramlett, ‘Howlin Wolf' and did a lot of tv and session gigs. In 200 Rick was nominated for a Grammy Award. Recently was Rick mostly working as a session and studio musician in New Orleans. In 1999 -during one of these sessions- the cd was recorded. Bluesy, jazzy and swinging music. Seven out of the ten songs on this cd are compositions of Rick Allen and they are worth listening. The musicians on the cd belong to the best of the New Orleans jazz & blues scene. Perhaps you had the idea that New Orleans is a synonym for ‘When The Saints Go Marching In', forget it. Rick Allen places New Orleans in a brand new perspective with the assistance of tenor player Tim Green, Richard Taylor a drummer of international fame, drums, Robert Wilson, bass and percussion, Kerry Brown drums and Roger Branch, guitar and percussion who did also the production. Roger Branch, is a well-known guitar player and a hot shot in the business. Rick is an organ player who has created his own sound, rooted in the jazz-, blues- and pop-scene. You could describe his motto on this cd as: Let's play the B3 and let him swing and roar. Rick Allen puts New Orleans definitely on the Hammond map. If you like to hear a sample go to: and take a bite of his Hammond cake. It will satisfy you. The costs of the cd are 16,-- euro including postage inside the EU. Outside the EU the costs will be 20,-- euro Remit this amount on bankaccount nr. (SWIFT-CODE): ABNANL2ANL46ABNA0467793387 ABN-AMRO BANK in the name of: Stichting Jazz Werkgroep, Amsterdam, Holland stating: B3 King E-mail us that you want to order "B3 King": As soon as we have received your remittance we will post the cd. |
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