Home » Jazz Musicians » Wil Blades
Wil Blades
Born in 1979, Wil began playing drums at the age of 8, guitar at 13, and then found his true calling on Hammond B-3 at 19. While studying Jazz at New College of California with Herbie Lewis, Wil landed weekly gigs at John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom Room in San Francisco. Barely of legal age, veteran musicians, such as Oscar Myers, took him under their wings. Being self- taught on organ, the weekly gigs proved to be the best lessons of all. In the years since, Wil has received tutelage from Jazz Organ master, Dr. Lonnie Smith. “Yeah, he does it...he’s on it. He is the future to carry on the legend, the legacy of the organ, [of] the B-3.”
Wil has kept the traditional sounds of Jimmy Smith, Larry Young, and “Groove” Holmes alive, while creating a more personal, modern sound. In Wil’s words, “I feel indebted to the tradition and masters of the Hammond Organ, but while trying to keep it going, I’m also focused on bringing my contemporary influences to the table.” His playing is rhythmic, funky and bluesy, yet his original compositions are harmonically intriguing and unique.
Wil currently leads his own groups around the Bay Area and is dedicating his time to teaching the Hammond B-3 Organ privately and at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. Current musical collaborations include groups with guitarist Will Bernard, Jazz legend Idris Muhammad and a duo project with drummer Scott Amendola. Wil’s debut record, “Sketchy”, is now available on Doodlin’ Records.
Tags
Wil Blades: Field Notes
by Chris M. Slawecki
It's good to know that no matter how many things change around us, there's still nothing that kicks out the jams like a good old school B-3 organ, guitar and drum trio. Wil Blades provides an excellent case study in groove. Throughout the past fifteen years, this B-3 bombardier has worked with blues and jazz greats both old school and new, such as Joe Louis Walker, Idris Muhammad, Melvin Sparks, Karl Denson, Billy Martin (Medeski Martin & Wood), ...
read moreWil Blades: Groooooovin'
by R.J. DeLuke
"I love the blues," says Wil Blades, a Hammond B3 whiz who didn't come to the instrument until he left his hometown of jny: Chicago and was going to college in California. He doesn't remember specific instances of being struck by a blues thunderbolt, but “I remember hearing it. It's part of the feeling I get when I play music." He started on drums at a young age and turned to guitar as a teenager--"I had those rock ...
read moreWil Blades: Field Notes
by Doug Collette
Keyboardist Wil Blades earned his pedigree playing with guitarist Will Bernard and percussionist Billy Martin and now ratchets up his leadership skills fronting a trio including guitarist Jeff Parker and drummer Simon Lott. Concentrating on Hammond B3 organ (using clavinet to leaven the textured sound of the group), Blades proves he has absorbed the lessons from masters of the hallowed instrument such as Jimmy Smith and happily carries them into the future. He the alternately fluid but funky ...
read moreWil Blades To Release "Field Notes" On Royal Potato Family
Source:
Calabro Music
No less a jazz organ authority than the legendary Dr. Lonnie Smith has called Wil Blades “the future," anointing him the heir apparent “to carry on the legend [and] the legacy of the organ, of the B-3." Blades shoulders that responsibility with nonchalant virtuosity and infectious groove on his forthcoming studio album, Field Notes, out August 19 from Royal Potato Family. The nine songs report back from the rich incubator that is the road, with pieces written from snippets recorded ...
read more
Billy Martin & Wil Blades To Release "Shimmy" May 22 on The Royal Potato Family
Source:
Calabro Music
Billy Martin and Wil Blades wanna make you Shimmy. The organ/drums duo waste no time getting right down to it on their debut album due May 22 from The Royal Potato Family in collaboration with Martin's own Amulet Records. Martin and Blades go old school in the tradition of essential organ-groove sides by the likes of Charles Earland, Brother Jack McDuff and Groove Holmes. Martin, the drummer for the legendary Medeski, Martin & Wood, and Blades, a much buzzed about ...
read more
“Yeah, he does it...he’s on it. He is the future to carry on the legend, the
legacy of the
organ, [of] the B-3.”
-Dr. Lonnie Smith
Pioneer and Legend of the Hammond B-3 Organ
"That boy's cookin'! That boy's cookin'!"
—John Lee Hooker
Original Bluesman
"Wil Blades is already a legend on the Hammond B-3 organ...On his debut
album, Sketchy, released in
August on Doodlin' Records, Blades showcases a smooth, funky sound that
recalls heroes like Jimmy
Smith without being slavishly derivative. Apparently, Blades' time spent in
combos with Scott Amendola,
Wil Bernard, and Idris Muhammad has taught him well."
- SF Weekly
Primary Instrument
Organ, Hammond B3
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
Weekday times available, generally pretty flexible. $75 an hour. Willing to do sliding scale.
Photos
Music
Lay It Back
From: Roll The TapeBy Wil Blades
Videos
Similar
Eric Bolvin
trumpet
Trudy Pitts
organ, Hammond B3
Times 4
band / ensemble / orchestra
Matthias Bublath
organ, Hammond B3
Wil Blades
Instrument: Organ, Hammond B3
Born: August 25, 1979
