Theatre Pipe Organ

[AeroScore]

Hi, gang!

I attended a Theatre Organ Open House at the Granada Theatre, Bakersfield, CA, over the Cinco De Mayo weekend.

The organ and theatre are owned and operated by a really great guy by the name of Jim Spohn, who is an organ technician with over 100 church and theatre organ contracts in the Imperial Valley, extending down to L.A.

Now, the theatre had been derelict for decades (complete with transients sleeping and, well to put it delicately, defecating in it), and never had a organ originally, so Jim has not only been spending months (and years, probably) restoring the theatre building itself to make it habitable, but has been assembling the organ from spare parts. Believe it or not, it all hangs together rather well. At this time, about 15 ranks are playing on a 4 manual Robert-Morton console.

Most who showed up were amatures and hobbyists (all of whom had a great time), but there was, besides myself, one other professional organist who came (name of Greg Rister), and we had a grand ole' time with the thing! Greg and I were the only ones who had the nerve to accompany silent movies for the attendees on a volunteer basis.

Since I am a student pilot, and since my instructor is an organ fan, we flew down and back together in his Cessna. I've included two pics from the event, one of me at the organ, and the other of me in the pilot's seat of the airplane. I like to call this little montage, "the two instruments I know how to use!"

Dean-o

[Krummhorn]

This is really great to hear about, Dean !!
It appears that there is gaining interest towards promoting the theatre organ and finally giving it the publicity it so dearly deserves. Thanks for sharing this news

[Albert]

Hi, gang!
<snip>
Most who showed up were amatures and hobbyists (all of whom had a great time), but there was, besides myself, one other professional organist who came (name of Greg Rister), and we had a grand ole' time with the thing! Greg and I were the only ones who had the nerve to accompany silent movies for the attendees on a volunteer basis.
<snip>
Dean-o

I thought the name Greg Rister looked familiar - and I went to my LPs, and to my delight found "Greg Rister Plays the Mighty Artisan". This was a recording he made for Artisan Organs - a kit organ company of the 60's - demonstrating the things he could do as a teen on the Oriental model Artisan, a three manual with seven ranks of analog oscillators, three of which had multiple voices, and a whole house full of real traps.

Albert

[AeroScore]

I thought the name Greg Rister looked familiar - and I went to my LPs, and to my delight found "Greg Rister Plays the Mighty Artisan". This was a recording he made for Artisan Organs - a kit organ company of the 60's - demonstrating the things he could do as a teen on the Oriental model Artisan, a three manual with seven ranks of analog oscillators, three of which had multiple voices, and a whole house full of real traps.

Albert

Yeah, and this guy can really play, too. I do believe he's making his living installing and maintaining church organs.

Dean

[Albert]

Yeah, and this guy can really play, too. I do believe he's making his living installing and maintaining church organs.

Dean

And he could really play when he was 15 years old, too. I still enjoy the record.

[AeroScore]

Well, this thread has been quiet for a while...

So, let me share some good news: three weeks ago, I became the latest staff organist at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. I am on a substitute basis at this point, but I've played intermissions at least one weekend night for the last three weeks.

The buzz from the audience has been good, management seems happy, I'm thrilled, and there are rumblings that it may become more permanent in the near future. It all depends on how I can work the Castro into my work schedule.

What I'd really like to do is a silent-movie program there...

I'll post a pic of the theatre and organ console when the opportunity arises.

Dean

[Krummhorn]

Hi Dean ...

Hey, that's really great news ... hopefully things will work out in a positive way for you. Looking forward to learning more about this theatre's instrument and seeing the pics.

Thanks for sharing this with the forum community.

[methodistgirl]

When I was about nineteen or twenty I went to a place in Pheonix Az. called
organ stop pizza and they had a wurlitzer organ. Louisville, kentucky has
one somewhere but I never heard it play. The closest thing to having a
theater organ is the organ at my church and the one at the first baptist
on north main Madisonville. Nothing could house a wurlitzer here in this
town I'm in. All of the resturants are very small. All Madisonville has are
fast food joints and a few diners. It would be a joy if only a player
piano was in one of the resturants somewhere! Only one of the down
town resturants at least has a baby grand piano in it. I envy the piano
player. I don't really play one that good since I've gotten a bit out of
practice. Yes I also play the piano! I was faced one day trying to
explain the difference between the real reason that the pipe is so much
bigger than even the biggest concert grand. People here are a little
behind other people elsewhere.

[Krummhorn]

When I was about nineteen or twenty I went to a place in Pheonix Az. called organ stop pizza and they had a wurlitzer organ . . . .

This Wurlitzer still exists, but much larger now. Organ Stop Pizza is now in Mesa, which is just under a 2 hour drive from where I live. I get there at least 6 times every year - never tire of hearing either Lew Williams or Charlie Balogh play this monster.

[methodistgirl]

Thanks for telling me. This was back in the eighties when I went.
Now I'm 47. It has been over twenty years since then. madisonville,
kentucky is lucky to have two pipe organs in town. They are located
in the Methodist church I go to, and a baptist church. That is the
only two that I know of. As far as a theater organ goes madisonville
has a grand piano in one of it's resturants on main street. Just to
think, they have Kerokie! I'd rather listen to the piano player play
something than a machine. That's the one horse town I live in!
judy tooley

[Pipequeen]

The theatre organ is my main instrument... I live in Metro Detroit, so theres the Senate, the Fox, the Redford, the Baldwin... thats it, I think!

(If you get the ATOS magazine, I'm in it this month!)

[AllanP]

How do I find your picture in the "Theatre Organ"?

[Pipequeen]

I attended the theatre organ summer adventure camp type whatever its supposed to be called. I'm one of the peoples in the little group picture shot.

[Arvin B]

We have a number near where I live - the paramount in Oakland was already mentioned.

We also have a number in private hands such as the organ at Ironstone Vineyards.

[AllanP]

Pipequeen,

How did you like the summer camp? I am taking organ lessons from Donna Parker who is a fabulous teacher. I am lucky to have my own pipe organ to play and enjoy it very much.

When I get home, I will look up the picture.