Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email


2026 January 14 • Wednesday

You'll often hear some kind of Hammond organ music coming out of the speakers at Gutbrain Headquarters. It's always exciting to add a new organ record to the collection and Lou Bennett's Amen is an excellent one.

Not only is this a great organ jazz album, with Bennett on Hammond, but it also features a great guitarist, Jimmy Gourley, who was new to me.

The fantastic Kenny Clarke is on drums and Jean-Marie Ingrand on bass.

The combo starts things off with a swinging take on Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie" and continues with a lighthearted and grooving interpretation of Miles Davis's "So What".

The tempo picks up a bit for Junior Mance's "Jubilation" and then gets speedier for Bennett's own "Brother Daniel", which has a hint of menace in its speedy lines and bluesy changes.

"Green Dolphin Street" starts out like church music and retains a serious mood throughout while the title track is by Donald Byrd and is a rocking sort of gospel-tinged number.

The CD has several bonus tracks, including stalwarts such as "Stella by Starlight", "Cheek to Cheek", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Night and Day" as well as an alternate take of "Brother Daniel" and a haunting piano piece, "Reverie".