Organ-grinding weekly with Dopapod

By Chet Williamson

Back in the 1960s, when organ-grinding was hotter than a match head, local club owners would actually buy Hammond B-3s to lure great players like Al Arsenault and George "Fingers" Pierson into their establishments to play.

These days they have a machine that can do it.

For people into the real thing, there's nothing like the Hammond B-3 organ. Everything else pales — like an "Emeny" — in comparison.

Bill Connor is one of those guys who's into the real thing. His head is completely inside the sound. He first got his bell rung while attending the Berklee College of Music.

"I saw Martin, Medeski and Wood, because that's what everybody was listening to at Berklee," he says. "When I first got there I was into rock. I was like your basic high school kid. Once I heard the organ, I wanted one."

Here's the thing: Connor is a drummer. In fact, he went to Berklee to hit the skins. He still plays whenever possible with an organist.

Wanting to share his passion with other fans of the instrument, Connor has instigated a weekly session called "B-3 Burnin' at The Vernon," happening every Sunday in the Ship Room at The Hotel Vernon.

Connor has contacted an exciting young drum/keys duo out of Boston called Dopapod to kick the series into gear. The group features Eli Winderman on organ and a variety of other keyboards, along with drummer Michelangelo Carubba. The Wormtown B-Squad, with Connor and organist Ben Butera, will spell Dopapod.

"I'm trying to get some organ-based stuff going on in Worcester," Connor says. "Basically, it's between us and Dopapod. It's two different takes on what's happening with organ music. They are a little bit more high-energy funk and experimental. We are a little bit more traditional."

The Wormtown B-Squad will also feature special guests, especially (when he's available) the Holden-based guitarist Mark Jodice, who has recorded with Bring Back Pluto.

Originally from Buffalo, organist Butera has been a regular member of the group since its inception. "If I want to play with an organist around here, he's the guy," Connor says.

Connor purchased his first organ for $150. "It was a little Hammond M-3," he says. That naturally led to taking one apart. "I said, ‘Okay, I'm going on eBay and see what kind parts I need.' One thing led to another. I'm like, ‘This is got to be one hell of a business keeping these things up.'" 

Bill Connor

That led to wanting to learn how to put it back together.

"I was an apprentice for this guy Dennis Roux," he says. "It was here in Worcester out of Music Towne. He was the repairman. His shop is in the basement. I took over the business in 2006."

Connor's business is BC Organ & Service. "I see a lot of home stuff but for big accounts and doing the jobs that take hours, it's usually churches," he says. "Most of the work is in repair, upgrading and modifying."

With all the technological advances allowing keyboard players to have portable instruments, Connor says that's fine, but, "You can't beat the real thing. When it comes down to it, the imperfections of the Hammond organ are what really made the thing famous and what people really like.

"Not to get too technical, but things like when you press the keys you hear a little click and a thump. The tone generation system in an organ is called the tone wheel. It's a sign wave that is created by a wheel. You can try to recreate the wheel digitally but it's not going to be the same. It comes close, but there's something magical about running a Hammond through a Leslie tube speaker. It can't be captured."

Connor says he met Winderman of Dopapod through an older friend from Berklee. "Every other Tuesday night in Brookline, there is a group called The B-3 Kings," he says. "My friend plays drums for them. He said, ‘There were some kids from Berklee showing up who could play.'

"So I went down there and I met Eli and we hit it off. He showed some interest in learning my business. He's come out with me on a few jobs. He's help me move organs. Besides that, he's just a monster organist. He's like a session guy. What they do is amazing, especially as just a duo."

Connor may be playing opposite Dopapod, but he's the guy providing the hulking instrument every week.

"Dopapod is going to be the highlight of what's happening on Sundays, but any way you look at it, I'll be down there every week," he says.

He says he chose The Vernon for such a showcase because "it's the best," he says. "For some reason you can play as loud as you want and everything still seems to be warm — even if you're screamin'." o