Happenings Hank Jones Baldwin Electric Harpsichord

Click pics to enlarge. Technics SL-1200 Mk II upper right; LP atop Schiit Valhalla, Naim NAC 42, Artemis Labs LA-1.

New York Diary (20-21): The Baldwin Electric Harpsichord

This beat-up and somewhat musty smelling Impulse LP, which I found in a dollar bin, is a personal favorite. It is a star-studded big band production in brilliant sound. But my fondness for it is because here the great pianist Hank Jones plays the Baldwin Electric Harpsichord in 7 of 11 tracks. Even jazz lovers may not have heard of this instrument.

This instrument was ahead of its times, though of course forgotten now. Today's electric keyboard can produce any sound in a much smaller enclosure. This FANTASTIC NMC link. tells you everything about the Baldwin.

This album was emphatically not well received by critics. Allmusic gave it 2 out of  5 stars! But if you look at reviews of actual listeners (e.g. discogs, Amazon) most love it as I do. Apparently, rock and pop musicians took to it a lot more. From the quoted NMC link:

"...Among the most recognizable albums and compositions to feature this instrument include: The Beatles’ “Because” (performed by George Martin) from Abbey Road of 1969; The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows”, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, and “Caroline, No” from Pet Sounds of 1966 and “Wonderful” from Smile of 1967; Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme of 1966; The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times” from Strange Days of 1967; James Taylor’s “Taking It In” from James Taylor of 1968; Grateful Dead’s “Mountains of the Moon” from Aoxomoxoa of 1969; Nick Drake’s “Fly” from Bryter Layter of 1970; Van Morrison’s “Cypress Avenue” from Astral Weeks of 1968; Donovan’s “Hampstead Incident” from Mellow Yellow of 1967; and, The Kinks’ “Two Sisters” from Something Else By The Kinks of 1967. The instrument was also featured in the opening theme to The Addams Family (1964), and in the film score to The Odd Couple (1968)..."

That's a lot of songs we know well! Now, where is my Abbey Road album?

The reason why it fascinates me is: the instrument is to the fore during Jones' solo's (unlike the cameo ways it is used in pop). The reason I include the part of the liner notes is because I don't think it tells everything. As a classical listener, it is important to say that the term "electric harpischord" is misleading. As the note says, the instrument can produce different keyboard sounds. And Hank Jones made the most of it. Sometimes it sounds like the harpsichord, other times it sounds like the clavichord (even fortepiano as the Baldwin does have a pedal) or the dulcimer. The clavichord is at least as old as the harpichord, which transits through the fortepiano to piano.

I urge you to stream this album in its entirety. I just played it on my Technics which fed into Naim NAC 42 and Akitika GT-102. It swings, critics be damned!

pic of actual item that was sold