When the Hammond B-3 master Jimmy Smith ushered in a golden era for the jazz organ in the late 1950s, he did so with a basic trio of organ, guitar and drums. The absence of a bassist was revolutionary at the time, but no bass was needed, since Smith had developed a mastery of the walking bass pedal. Enter Billy Martin and Wil Blades, who perform as an organ-drum duo. There’s no guitar in their music, but with chops like these, it’s rarely missed. As one-third of Medeski, Martin & Wood, Martin dances all over the drum kit with a creative sureness; for his part, Blades isn’t afraid to push the organ to newer territories, either. They fire up the place on Wednesday, May 30, at Hopmonk Tavern. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 8:45pm. $12–$15. 707.829.7300.
