TALENT SCOUT - Joe Bagg

Joe Bagg is making waves of late as the organist in actor/jazzer Jeff Goldblum's chart-topping Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. But for those in the know, the California native has been a first call keyboardist for years. Get to know more about our TALENT SCOUT Artist of the Week!NAME: Joe BaggHOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CAMUSICAL TRAINING: B.A. in Music (University of La Verne), M.M. In Music Performance (Rutgers University)FIRST GIGS: Playing gospel music with the Smith Family Choir. I toured around Southern California playing in various African American churches that had no air conditioning. Then I ate amazing food at some church member’s house afterwards!MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Ray Charles, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Kelly, Larry Goldings, Billy Preston.WHAT I’M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW: Paradise and Lunch (Ry Cooder), New Day (Kevin Hays), Clube Da Esquina (Milton Nascimento), Amazing Grace (Aretha Franklin).MY BIG BREAK:  I don’t know if I’ve actually had one big break - it seems more like a series of little breaks gradually building over a long time. Some of those include being called to play with the great Bobby Hutcherson, touring with Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouzon, playing on-screen in a couple Clint Eastwood movies, and certainly recording and touring currently with Jeff Goldblum. LATEST PROJECTS: I’ve been recording pretty steadily recently. The most recent couple of recordings being the Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (The Capitol Studios Sessions on Decca), and The Denny Seiwell Trio (Boomerang, Quarto Valley). I also have plans to record a solo piano project some tome next year. FAVORITE KEYBOARDS AND WHY? I like the classic, 'meat and potatoes keyboards' - piano, Hammond B-3, Rhodes, Wurly. On the road, if I can’t get a real B-3, I use a Hammond SK-2 (although at NAMM last year I played on a Hammond XK-5 and man that felt the closest to a playing a real B-3)! I don’t own a Dave Smith/Sequential keyboard, but whenever I’ve played one, I’m impressed with the warmth and hugeness of tone it produces. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Playing some fun gigs coming up with Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra - parties for Funny or Die and Al Gore, The James Corden Show, Glastonbury Festival, going on the road a bunch next year and helping develop the fledgling Masters Degree program at Musicians Institute in Hollywood where I teach. ADVICE TO THE NEXT GENERATION: It seems like they’re doing fine on their own and don’t need any advice from me! There are some amazing younger musicians out there producing music that’s blowing my mind. I guess if there’s one trend that makes me a little sad, it’s the falling out of favor of 'swinging.' It’s such an amazing feeling, I can’t imagine it’ll disappear forever, but it seems like fewer and fewer people are interested in pursuing and developing it. For more information visit www.joebagg.com