DESCRIPTION:
"First Gravy: Journeys of the Hammond Organ" (named after a Leon Spencer song) is a music documentary that celebrates the rise of the Hammond Organ from its beginnings to an instrument of soul-jazz and explores how it continues to be practiced today.

Organists Dr. Lonnie Smith, Reuben Wilson, Gene Ludwig, Tony Monaco, Jackie Ivory, Bob Birch, Nick Rossi, Steven Roberts, Linda Dachtyl, Atsuko Hashimoto, and Wil Blades all generously contributed their time to this project, as did producers Joe Fields and Pete Fallico, guitarist Calvin Keys, academics David Ake, Steven F. Pond, author Rickey Vincent, and technician Bob Schleicher.

The documentary was completed in 2007 as part of the UC Santa Cruz Social Documentation program.