The Mike Cammilleri Organ Trio’s debut album, “Bar Open,” is five cover songs from the 1979-1989 era the band adapted to the organ jazz genre. Old schoolers will recognize Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster,” which the band moved from the original reggae groove, to an appropriate 60’s groove similar to Killer Joe. If you do a Stevie Wonder tune, it is law that you also do a Michael Jackson tune, so the band turned “Workin’ Day and Night” into a boogaloo. In order to chill the mood, the band stopped in 1984 for Christopher Cross’ “Sailing.” This song’s beautiful groove and chord structure lent itself to showcasing the expansive sound of the Hammond Organ and Leslie speaker. As the yacht rockers say, All aboard. The most recent hits both come from 1989. Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step,” and Jane Child’s “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love” both give the band a chance to get funky, but seamlessly weave back into swing for the soloists..

“Tapping into listener's fond memories of hit songs from their past, while arranging them in a way that true to the organ jazz enthusiasts is the best of both worlds,” states Cammilleri, band leader and co-producer of the album.

“Not everyone that comes to a jazz show has encyclopedic knowledge of jazz repertoire,” states Al Falaschi, drummer and co-producer. “By picking pop tunes that most people know, but still have enough musical meat on the bone for the musicians, we give listeners something familiar to latch onto, and help them enjoy the moment a little more.”

The band is lead by Mike Cammilleri on Hammond Organ. Mike has settled into the Madison music scene as a purveyor of organ grooves and is also known as chief accordionist in Madison’s Irish rock band The Kissers. On guitar is Vince Jesse. Vince is a native of Madison, and is best known for his guitar work in Phat Phunktion. On drums, and not saxophone, is Al Falaschi. While best known as a saxophonist and vocalist in Phat Phunktion and Steely Dane, Falaschi’s father was a drummer, and had him behind a drum kit by age five.