Joey DeFrancesco

Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971 – August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz musicians as trumpeter Miles Davis, saxophonist Houston Person, and guitarist John McLaughlin.

DeFrancesco signed his first record deal at the age of 16 and over the years, recorded and toured internationally with David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, Frank Wess, Benny Golson, James Moody, Steve Gadd, Danny Gatton, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, George Benson, Pat Martino, Tony Monaco, John Scofield, Lee Ritenour, Joe Lovano, and had prominent session work with a variety of musicians, including Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Janis Siegel, Diana Krall, Jimmy Smith, and Van Morrison.

Early life and education Joey DeFrancesco was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, United States, on April 10, 1971, into a musical family that included three generations of jazz musicians. He was named after his grandfather, Joseph DeFrancesco, a jazz musician who played the saxophone and clarinet. DeFrancesco began playing the organ at the age of four and was playing songs by Jimmy Smith verbatim by the time he was five. His father began taking him to gigs from the age of five, letting him sit in on sets. At the age of 10, DeFrancesco joined a band in Philadelphia that included jazz musicians Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones. He was considered a fixture at local jazz clubs, opening shows for Wynton Marsalis and B. B. King.

DeFrancesco attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. There, he studied music specializing in piano and organ. He followed up with playing keyboards on Davis's album Amandla, which reached No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart in 1989. He was originally spotted by Davis during a performance on the television show called Time Out. He was performing on the set, along with high school classmate Christian McBride when Davis asked the show's host, "what's your organ player's name", referring to DeFrancesco.

Touring DeFrancesco began touring with his own quartet at the age of 18. In the early 1990s, he began collaborating with John McLaughlin, former guitarist for Miles Davis and the leader of Mahavishnu Orchestra. At the age of 22, he became a founding member of the group The Free Spirits, along with McLaughlin and drummer Dennis Chambers. He toured with the group for four years and was part of several recordings, including the albums Tokyo Live and After the Rain. DeFrancesco also played trumpet on the former album.

In 1999, DeFrancesco recorded his album Incredible! Live at the San Francisco Jazz Festival. In 2004, DeFrancesco recorded Legacy, another album that featured Jimmy Smith. He received numerous accolades for his performances, including being called the best Hammond B3 organ player on the planet by JazzTimes. The New York Times described DeFrancesco as a "deeply authoritative musician, a master of rhythmic pocket, and of the custom of stomping bass lines beneath chords and riffs." DeFrancesco was also involved in musical instrument development, especially product designs and endorsements related to technological advancements in digital keyboards and electronic organ both in the United States and internationally.

Multi-instrumentalist As a multi-instrumentalist, DeFrancesco recorded on various keyboards (including acoustic and electric piano), and trumpet. Although best known as a jazz organist, he also performed as a singer and, since November 2018, played the tenor saxophone. DeFrancesco was an inaugural member of the Hammond Hall of Fame, inducted in 2013 along with Brian Auger, Billy Preston, Steve Winwood, and his mentor, Jimmy Smith.

Discography

DeFrancesco's discography consists of albums released on the labels Columbia, Muse, Highnote, Big Mo, Concord Jazz, Doodlin', and Mack Avenue. DeFrancesco had one daughter with his first wife, Ashley Blue DeFrancesco.

Death DeFrancesco died of a heart attack on August 25, 2022, at the age of 51.