The numbers on the latest album of organist, trumpeter and keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco (Philadelphia,1971) were not chosen at random. On In The Key Of The Universe the organist explores his spiritual side. The often lyrical and thoughtful tone of his music reflects this aim. This summer, DeFrancesco is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the release of his debut album All Of Me. In the interim he has added to his name an immense total of almost forty albums, recorded with acclaimed artists like Houston Person, Grover Washington, John Scofield, and Illinois Jacquet. DeFrancesco is deeply attuned to the traditions of jazz and taps into them in unmistakable, innovative ways. In the late eighties, this enabled him to spark renewed interest in organ jazz that had been losing popularity. DeFrancesco, who is also an accomplished trumpeter, is coming to the festival with veteran drummer Billy Hart (1940) and young Australian soprano and tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts).
