Freddie Roach

One of the more underrated soul-jazz organists of the '60s, Freddie Roach recorded a series of seven albums for Blue Note and Prestige. Where his contemporaries played hard-driving, bluesy soul-jazz, Roach's approach was more textured and shaded. He was capable of blistering leads, but he was more interested in dynamics, harmonics and tonal color. As his career progressed, he became more interested in funky grooves, but his knack for tasteful, shaded solos and support never subsided.