Jimmy McGriff

A Philadelphia legend and one of the funkiest groove riders to tickle the keys of a Hammond B-3 organ, McGriff can definitely play through a blistering Hard Bop scorcher, but let him ride on a simple vamp and he'll deliver some of the most soulful, blues-based playing you've ever heard. Rather than being satisfied with a steady swing, many of McGriff's early albums feature some of the funkiest beats on record -- and with Bernard Purdie on drums, his back catalog has become a hotbed for hip-hop sampling. McGriff's accompaniment is just as good as his soloing, whether he's laying out a punchy organ jab or coating a ballad in an atmospheric drone of rich, warm sonorities. Often paired with fellow jazzman Hank Crawford on alto sax, McGriff is still releasing excellent albums.