I got introduced to Vince Seneri’s music through a friend who is an executive producer on his project. Vince has a new Hammond B3 CD hitting the streets on March 1, 2008 and there’s already some buzz about it. He’s a seasoned player – check out his clips for yourself on his website at www.vinceseneri.com . The picture above is from one of his previous albums – his new CD release is called “The Prince’s Groove”.
I’ve never met anyone that didn’t like a well played Hammond B3.
The Prince’s Groove – Advance Review
Vince Seneri – THE PRINCE’S GROOVE: Our first exposure to Seneri’s fantastic organ work was in issue #74 <http://zzaj.freehostia.com/Z74Reviews.htm> , & he’s outdone himself on this new CD (due for a March 1st release). As always, he’s got some stellar players with him, like Randy Brecker on trumpet & flugelhorn, Paul Bollenback’s guitar, Dave Valentin on flute, tenor sax from Houston Person, percussion by Richie Flores and Gary Fritz & (last but not least) Buddy Williams on drums. A track title like “Dearly Beloved” would make most listeners think “ballad” (as did I), but this is one of the most scorching Hammond B3 pieces I’ve ever heard… & the title track, a Vince original, is some of the mellowest jazz you’ll ever listen to. My favorite tune was “The Stinger”, composed by Seneri… it flows with sophisticated rhythm, & highlights each player without taking away from any of them… an absolute stunner! Mr. Seneri is (as of this moment) my favorite jazz organ player, & if you love jazz organ, you’ll share my sentiments there. This album gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, as well as the “PICK” of this issue for “best organ jazz”!
Another Vince Seneri Review
How about three cheers for jazz journeymen? Cats who’ve been around for a good long while and can play the dickens out of their instruments yet do not qualify as stars — except to fellow musicians who know a genuine talent when they hear one. That’s what you get with Vince Seneri, a masterful keyboardist who cuts it up big-time on the Hammond B3 organ. The guy is a supreme groove-master on the level of such giants as Larry Young, Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff. Less barbecue-style than those gents, Seneri has his own smooth, soulful sound that rides in the pocket. He also indulges in spirited improvisation that gamely pulls apart melody for sheer entertainment value. This weekend at Zanzibar Blue, Seneri is joined by Dave Valentin (flute), David “Fathead” Newman (sax) and Doc Gibbs (percussion) — all in all, a cool cast of jazz vets.