Raphael Wressnig

Raphael Wressnig is not your ordinary B-3 organ player. He confidently brings out the inherent pyrotechnic power and mightiness of the large B-3 console, and he is proud of his role in performing what he calls “organ-heavy soul & funk.” The majestic instrument, the Hammond organ, replaces the singer and plays the leads, while its bass register locks in with the drums and carries the band. Wressnig concocts exciting mixed-genre music from his fervid imagination. His fluency in soul, funk, jazz, and blues has garnered him the attention of an international claque of critics and multiple nominations over the past decade for both the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls as “Best Organ Player of the Year.”

Peter Johnstone

Sara Magn��sd��ttir

Icelandic jazz Hammond organist Sara Magnúsdóttir brings an exciting new voice to the Hammond Organ, blending nordic lyricism with deep grooves and a soulful touch - all tied together by her background in the jazz tradition.

Growing up in a small Icelandic village with a fascination for jazz lead her to her studies in the US. During her college years, she discovered a deep pull towards the Hammond organ, its power and soulful sound. Taught by veteran organist Mike LeDonne, Sara was inspired to say the least. After finishing her BM in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University, she went on to get a MM in Jazz composition and arranging, building on her other big passion of big band music. 

Mitch Towne

Born: September 17

Ever since Jimmy Smith emerged on the national scene in 1956, performing exciting versions of blues, ballads and standards, the Hammond B-3 organ has been a major instrument in jazz. Scores of organists have emerged since then who play variations of the Jimmy Smith style.

Mitch Towne, while acknowledging his historic predecessors, sees the organ as much more than just being a soulful instrument used to play grease-filled blues. “I feel that the organ is somewhat marginalized in jazz and that there is so much more to the organ than being thought of as a bluesy r&b soul/jazz type of instrument. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to perform mostly originals on my new recording, Refuge. This record is in the jazz tradition rather than just the jazz organ tradition because, in addition to the great organ players, I’m also inspired by Kenny Garrett, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock.” On Refuge, his recording debut as a leader, Mitch Towne teams up with his regularly working trio (guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama and drummer Jeffery Johnson) to perform six of his wide-ranging originals plus a Kenny Kirkland piece. Refuge introduces Towne’s creative talents to a wide audience and displays the great potential of the organ.

Judd Nielsen

Born and raised in the heart of New York City, Judd's musical journey was ignited by his parents' deep affection for the rich tapestry of Jazz, Soul, and the vibrant melodies of New Orleans. His early immersion in a diverse musical landscape led him to embrace the keyboard and piano, shaping his distinctive soulful style. Inspired by the legendary Dr. Lonnie Smith, whom he encountered at the iconic Smoke jazz club during his high school years, Judd embarked on a quest to master the Hammond organ, finding mentorship under luminaries like Seleno Clarke and the esteemed Smith himself.

OJT

OJT builds on the classic organ jazz trio by mixing old school Kansas City jazz with blues and a modern funky groove.  Ken Lovern on Hammond organ, Kenny Watson Jr. on drums, and Brian Baggett on guitar play equal parts in balanced arrangements with outstanding improvisations. OJT has been a band for more than 20 years and it shows.  Kenny Watson Jr. has been with the group for just over two years, and he brings a fresh groove to the old school organ jazz jams.  

OJT is: 

Ken Lovern:  Hammond Organ

Brian Baggett: Guitar

Kenny Watson Jr.: Drums

Ken Lovern

Born: November 20, 1965

Ken Lovern is the hammond organist and composer that drives the bus that is OJT. Ken was born in the Kansas City area on November 20, 1965, and he has been a professional musician most of his adult life. Even before graduating from the Conservatory of Music of the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1989, Ken went to work with legendary Kansas City vocalist, Ida McBeth. Ken currently plays at the Green Lady Lounge most nights in any given week. OJT plays there every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.   Ken also plays with Guitar Elation, featuring legendary guitarist Danny Embrey, on Thursday nights.  

Brian Ward

Born: September 30, 1969

Brian Ward is a keyboardist, recording artist, composer, arranger, and educator. Ward has performed with Talya Groves, Bobby Watson, Will Matthews, Leroy Vinnegar, Bobby Torres, Shirley Nanette, Dee Daniels, Curtis Salgado, Obo Addy, The Oregon Symphony, The Spokane Jazz Orchestra, and others. Brian helped create the "City of Roses" arrangement by Esperanza Spalding, which won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Vocal Performance in 2013. Ward received the 2022 Andrew B. Cius Jr. Award for outstanding student composer at the University of Kansas School of Music. Brian currently lives in Kansas City, where he is active on the jazz scene, performing jazz and blues

Brian D Ward

Born: September 30, 1969

Brian Ward, D.M.A., is a keyboardist, recording artist, composer, arranger, and educator from   the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Ward has performed with Bobby Watson, Will Matthews, Leroy Vinnegar, Bobby Torres, Shirley Nanette, Dee Daniels, Curtis Salgado, Obo Addy, The Oregon Symphony, The Spokane Jazz Orchestra, and many others. Brian helped create the arrangement for "City of Roses" by Esperanza Spalding, which won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Vocal Performance. Brian currently lives in Kansas City, Kansas, where he enjoys performing jazz and blues weekly.

Dave Salvator