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Just Added: Early show tonight with Ike Stubblefield B3 Trio.  Click Here for tickets and about tonight’s pre-party or the B3 Summit on Saturday.

The Antone’s B3 Summit weekend is finally here and features our very own local legends Red Young, Mike Flanigin and Dr. James Polk plus very special guest Ike Stubblefield.  Ike helped create the Motown songs we all know and love having played with the “Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, Stevie Wonder and Rare Earth. He lent his soulful R&B style to Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield, B.B. King, The Pointer Sisters and George Benson, and helped create the classic B3 sound that others would imitate for generations to come”.  More on Ike Stubblefield here

We caught up with both Red Young and Mike Flanigin about the show – check out what they had to say!

FunkyBatz: Hi Red! Tell us how the Antone’s B3 Summit was conceived?

Red: Zach Ernst called me and suggested we do a Hammond summit. I’ve been playing Antones now since January with the hot horns (5 of them) and one of my Hammond organs has been there since March. I saw Ike in Nashville at the Hammond organ booth (known him for awhile) and of course Dr Polk and Mike Flanigin are well known around town too.

FunkyBatz: You are such a versatile player – at times funky at times jazzy and everything in between. Tell us about what you like in music.

Red: I don’t know about the Funk/Dance aspect of it – I do what I do and never considered myself in any genre or other rather than jazz, blues or soul jazz (I started out before the labels were invented) I just play good music and what I like.

FunkyBatz: Who else will be performing at the Summit?

Red: I think with Mike and Ike, Johnny Moeller and Kyle Thompson will be playing (guitar & drums). I asked Mike Malone and Brannen Temple to play with me (I don’t use guitar) and Scott Laningham will be there as well (drums) possibly with Dr Polk – don’t know who else is playing with him. We will each play a set on our own starting around 10pm and after our own sets (30min) two of us at a time will be on Hammonds (I’ll have another one of mine there) with drums in the middle and we’ll continue as long as we are able!

FunkyBatz:  Hi Mike!  Tell us about your set and give us some history.

Mike: Howdy y’all, think Red has covered a lot of the details.  The only other info I could add is that Denny Freeman is gonna play with me and Kyle for my set.  We’ll just do the sort of thing we always did at the gallery.  Been over a year since I’ve played with them like that, so looking forward to it.  The last b3 summit I remember in this town was Jimmy smith, Jimmy McGriff and Jack McDuff at Antone’s on 5th.  It’s been many years, and sadly none are with us anymore.

FunkyBatz:  What are you most excited about?

Mike: So it’s exciting for me to honor and play along with these legendary players Red, Dr, Polk and Ike…who were all there at the beginning of the organ explosion of the 60’s and have been spreading the gospel in their own individual ways ever since.  For anybody that’s ever hauled a b3 organ…you can only imagine the amount of respect these guys deserve for a lifetime of devotion to the instrument.  And they are all recognized everywhere as the best of the best.   Let the organ players loose y’all!

 

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