The Hammond organ is an electromechanical musical instrument invented by Laurens Hammond in the 1930s as an affordable substitute for the church organ. Its sound is created by small metal tonewheels that rotate near electromagnetic pickups; with drawbars the player “mixes” the overtones, sculpting a tone of their own.
A special, recognizable “character” is given to the Hammond organ by the rotating Leslie speaker, which creates a living, “swirling” sound. Instead of the church, the instrument conquered entirely different stages: it became the soul of gospel, soul, jazz (Jimmy Smith), blues, and rock (Deep Purple, progressive rock). Its warm, “fat,” hot timbre remains indispensable to this day; the Hammond organ is one of the most influential keyboard instruments in the history of popular music.
