Barbara Dennerlein

Unlike the majority of organists, Barbara Dennerlein steers clear of close resemblance to Jimmy Smith. She incorporates MIDI into her organ to produce an unusual tonal palette, and the basslines she generates with her foot pedals register with convincing authenticity as bass. Dennerlein started on organ at age eleven; four years afterward she was already appearing in neighborhood clubs. Her first recordings came out on the Bebap imprint she established herself, and beginning in 1988 she also released Enja albums that attracted notice in the U.S. with contributors such as Ray Anderson and Mitch Watkins.