Hal Tsuchida Organ Quartet

February 28, 2026

Salt Peanuts
Hal Tsuchida土田晴信 – organ
Seiji Harakawa原川誠司 - alto sax 
Yoichi Suzuki鈴木洋一 – guitar
Takashi Katagiri片桐隆人 – drums

The Hammond B3 organ group is such a classic jazz formation, it’s a pity there aren’t more trios and quartets. Hal Tsuchida, along with several other great players, really breath life into the style. His quartet at Salt Peanuts turned in a straightahead workout that showed just how satisfying it can be when everyone syncs so well.

More jazz than funk, the quartet got going right away with “Have You Met Miss Jones?,” the opening song, taken at a calm mid-tempo pace that pulled the quartet closer and tighter with each solo. The interplay was great, each member staking out huge musical tent pegs for a capacious space to work over the songs in fresh ways. That big sense of how the Hammond B3 can sound came through on every tune.

“The Way You Look Tonight” was upbeat, literally and figuratively, and great fun to hear it so nimbly played. Suzuki’s guitar was tasteful, deft, and soulful. Harakawa on sax kept his solos in fully funky territory. Tsuchida held everything together, with Suzuki adding tasteful fills. Katagiri was a steady force on the drums.

“When I Fall in Love” was slow, sultry and filled with delicate phrasing. It was nice to hear the possibilities of more than just a funky groove. And yet, Jimmy McGriff’s “Cherry,” a B3 classic, was soul-satisfying, with a searching feeling and a sense of fun.

The first set closed out with a blues that let Tsuchida rev up the full power of the organ sound. With a modified Hammond and computer-synced speakers that replicated the class B3 and Leslie speaker combo, it filled the large space of the club.

The second set opened up with “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” but with a solid rocking groove. The solos were muscular and filled with warmth. “My Shining Hour” really opened up the dynamics even further with a full-on flavor that let everyone in the quartet show off their soloing power.

“The Shadow of Your Smile” was taken as a cool bossa nova style that felt just right, while on “All the Things You Are,” the sax and guitar got into a fascinating interplay, exchanging one line after the next with great energy.  

No Hammond B3 evening is complete without Jack McDuff tune. “Hot Barbecue” was delivered as it should be funky, greasy, and filled with a groove. Everyone in the audience shouted along with “Hot Barbecue,” when it came up.

The last two songs, “When Lights are Low” and “Teach Me Tonight” pushed the band into great solos without rushing anything. Some groups speed up a lot at the end of the evening, so it was a pleasure to hear Tsuchida’s quartet not forcing tunes to fit some fast vibe, but rather letting all of the songs find their own speed and feel.