Gaël Horellou - Organ Power II (2026) Hi-Res

I’ve always loved the organ —an instrument that evokes both the ancient and the modern, connected to Christian mysticism as much as to swing and groove.

The Hammond organ has accompanied Protestant choirs at the roots of gospel, and has been present throughout all of African American music, bridging blues, jazz, and funk.

From an orchestral perspective, the organ is a full-spectrum instrument that covers all registers with a wide dynamic range. The band plays loud, and the bass lines are powerful.

Organ Power! 2 is my sixth album on Fresh Sound. I’m joined once again by my longtime musical partner David Sauzay on tenor saxophone, 28 years after Versus, our first release on the label.

Organ Power! 2 follows the album Organ Power! released in 2022, and brings together a rarely heard jazz quintet configuration: organ, drums, and three horns.

This album carries over the spirit of the first volume: the organ serves as the common thread connecting swing tracks (Yours Is My Heart Alone, Elyssa’s Tempo, Central Park West), more modern pieces (Enfumage, Freddie, Spiral Dance, Nothing New), and funk grooves (A Chunk of Funk, L’Albatros), as well as Duke, a mysterious and ethereal Ellington-style ballad.

It’s the spirit of Great Black American Music that I love.

—Gaël Horellou