Gene Ludwig

Gene Ludwig
Born September 4, 1937
Twin Rocks, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died July 14, 2010(2010-07-14) (aged 72)
Monroeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres Soul jazz
Occupations Organist
Instruments Hammond organ, piano
Website www.geneludwig.com
Notable instruments
Hammond B-3

Gene Ludwig (September 4, 1937 – July 14, 2010)[1] was an American jazz and rhythm and blues organist, who recorded as a leader as well as a sideman for Sonny Stitt, Arthur Prysock, Scott Hamilton, Bob DeVos, and Leslie West, and others.[2] Ludwig received international acclaim as a Hammond organ player and was a prominent figure in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania jazz scene.[3]

Contents

Life and career

Born in Twin Rocks, Cambria County, Ludwig was raised in the boroughs of Wilkinsburg and Swissvale, near Pittsburgh. He began studying the piano at age 6. Ludwig became interested in rhythm and blues after hearing Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner and organists Bill Doggett and Wild Bill Davis played by disc jockey Porky Chedwick on WHOD in Homestead.[3]

Ludwig graduated from Swissvale High School in 1955, and studied physics and mathematics at Edinboro State Teachers College. He left due to his father going on strike at Westinghouse Electric, and returned to Pittsburgh to work in construction. Ludwig also began performing in local vocal groups. He heard organist Jimmy Smith perform at the Hurricane nightclub in the Hill District, which inspired him to take up the Hammond organ. Ludwig bought an M100 organ, then a C model, and then a B-3 after sharing a bill with Jimmy Smith in 1964 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[3]

Ludwig travelled along the East Coast and to Ohio, performing jazz and rhythm and blues, and released numerous singles and albums as a leader and a sideman. He released a 45-rpm single of the Ray Charles song "Sticks and Stones" in 1963, and replaced Don Patterson in saxophonist Sonny Stitt's band in 1969, appearing on Stitt's album, Night Letter. Ludwig toured with bass-baritone vocalist Arthur Prysock and guitarist Pat Martino. He released the album, Now's the Time, in 1979 on Muse Records, and continued to travel and work through the '80s and '90s, regularly performing at Pittsburgh's Crawford Grill and James Street Tavern. He signed with Blues Leaf Records in 1997 and released the albums Back on Track, Soul Serenade, The Groove Organization, and Hands On, for the label.[4]

Ludwig died in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, on July 14, 2010.[3] The postumous album, Love Notes of Cole Porter, was released in 2011 by Big O Records, where Ludwig covered standards by Cole Porter, including "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "I Love You", "Begin the Beguine", and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To".[5]

Discography

This is the complete discography of Gene Ludwig[6]:

As leader

45-rpm singles
  • "Gospel Goodness" Pt. 1 b/w Pt. 2 (1962), LaVere
  • "Mr. Fink" Pt. I b/w Part II (1962), LaVere
  • "Sticks and Stones" Part I b/w Part II (1963), Atlantic
  • "House of the Rising Sun” b/w "Blues For Mister Fink" (1964), Mainstream
  • "Walk on the Wild Side" b/w "Birdie’s Blues" (1964), D.D. Productions
  • "The Vamp" b/w "Deep Purple" (1965), Travis
  • "Chittlin' Juice" Pt. I b/w Pt. II (1965), GeLu
  • "Soul Mountain" b/w "My Blue Heaven" (1966), Travis
  • "Mother Blues" b/w "Blue Flame” (1967), Jocida
  • "My Way" Part I b/w Part II (1971), Steel City Records
  • "The Street Preacher" Part I b/w Part II (1987), GeLu
Cassettes
  • Blues and More (1982), GeLu
Albums
  • Organ Out Loud (1964), Mainstream
  • The Educated Sound of Gene Ludwig (1965), Travis
  • This is Gene Ludwig (1965), GeLu
  • The Hot Organ (1967), Time - repackage of Organ Out Loud
  • Now's the Time (1979), Muse
Compact discs
  • Back on the Track (1998)
  • Soul Serenade (2000), Blue Leaf
  • The Groove ORGANization (2002), Blue Leaf
  • Hands On (2003), Blue Leaf
  • Gene Ludwig - Live in Las Vegas (2006), Blue Leaf
  • Gene Ludwig Trio with The Bill Warfield Big Band (2008), 18th & Vine
  • Duffs Blues (2008), 18th & Vine
  • Love Notes of Cole Porter (2011), Big O

As sideman

  • Night Letter (with Sonny Stitt, 1969), Prestige
  • Nassau (with Ron Bartol, 1984), Leeway Sound
  • Danger Zone (with The Billy Price Band, 1993)
  • Front (with Randy Caldwell, 1998)
  • Diamonds and Sausages (with Shawnee Lake, 1999)
  • Walking the Walk - The Serious Saxaphone of Hosea Taylor (with Hosea Taylor, 2000)
  • Keep that Groove Going (with Plas Johnson & Red Holloway, 2001)
  • DeVos Groove Guitar (with Bob deVos, 2003)
  • Indubitably Quintessential (with Hosea Taylor, 2003)
  • What's New (with Jimmy Ponder, 2005)
  • Tea for Two (with Cecil Brooks III, 2006)
  • Double Exposure (with Cecil Brooks III, 2006)
  • Synesthesia (with Hosea Taylor, 2006)
  • Worry No More (with Jared Wilson), 2007)
  • Across the Tracks (with Scott Hamilton, 2008)

References

  1. ^ Allaboutjazz.com obituary
  2. ^ Allmusic
  3. ^ a b c d Nowlin, Rick (July 16, 2010). "Obituary: Gene Ludwig / Legendary jazz organist in Pittsburgh music scene". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10197/1073085-122.stm. Retrieved March 22, 2011. 
  4. ^ Guidry, Nate (October 26, 2003). "A Life in Tune: Ludwig Grooves on Jazz Organ". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 
  5. ^ McClenaghan, Dan. "Gene Ludwig". All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38963. Retrieved March 22, 2011. 
  6. ^ Discography of Gene Ludwig on its official site

External links