This week we’re going to take a look at giving your production a little more of that traditional feel.  Whether it’s baseball, softball, or hockey, the organ goes back a long way to entertaining fans at sports events.  Below, we’re going to take a look at some of the best songs played on the organ.

Before we get started, we’re going to take a look at some of the top professional sports organists, while also taking a listen to some older songs you may want to consider.

Artists to search for include:

Klaus Wunderlich he has a wide range of songs that we’ll hit below, but he’s not a sports organist.  A lot of his songs and medleys have come to us over the years and has that old-time sound.  All the songs listed here are songs we use.

• Downtown – an organ version of the Petula Clark hit
• Popcorn/Apache/Corn Flakes (medley) – combines several popular songs of the 70’s and 80’s
• Puttin’ on the Ritz/Blue Skies (medley) – organ version of the 80’s hit in medley form good for pregame
• Trumpet Blues – a good-sounding march with a swing feel
• Up, Up and Away – organ version of the 70’s hit

Nancy Bea Hefley was the organist for the Los Angeles Dodgers until her retirement at the end of last season.  She released a CD in 2003 entitled Take Me Out to the Ballgame and can be purchased on Amazon.com.  The CD does have some background crowd noise but it isn’t too bad.  See the link under “Music for Purchase” on our main page.  There are many songs on the CD that are good for crowd prompts, but we’ll highlight what’s good for game play:

• It’s A Beautiful Day For A Ballgame – pregame or filler
• In The Good Old Summertime – pregame
• Funiculi, Funicula – play for teams from Pittsburgh (where funicular railways are common) or in-game as a filler song.  Could also be used for promotions that involve pizza.
• San Francisco (Open Your Gates) – for teams from or affiliated with San Francisco
• Master of the House – in-game or pregame
• Sukiyaki – pregame or filler during a rain delay
• El Cumbachero – in-game or mascot race
• I Get Ideas (When We’re Dancing) – pregame
• Talkin’ Baseball – an awesome organ version of Terry Cashman’s hit
• Darktown Strutter’s Ball/Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Medley) – pregame, closer to the start of the game (no crowd noise)
• Sidewalks of New York – for teams from New York (no crowd noise)
• America, the Beautiful – great for patriotic days (no crowd noise)
• Danny Boy – pitching changes (no crowd noise)
• Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie – for teams from or affiliated with St. Louis (no crowd noise)
• Chattanooga Choo Choo – pregame (no crowd noise)

Atlanta Braves organist Matthew Kaminski has released three albums, all of which are available on his website.  His Stadium Organ Sounds is a must have for any in-game production as it has a good amount of crowd prompts for many situations.  Purchase a copy of it today (please note, we do not get any sort of compensation for this endorsement).  His other two albums, Taking My Time released in 2010, and Swingin’ on the New Hammond released in 2014 are good jazz collaborations.

Former Yankee Stadium organist, the late-great Eddie Layton released a CD at the start of 1997 entitled Ya Gotta Have Heart.  Not a bad album to have in your collection and it includes Take Me Out to the Ballgame.  In addition to Ya Gotta Have Heart, Layton has several other albums that were released after his death in recent years that capture the old-time sound.  If you’re looking for new music, this isn’t it, but his collections could really give your ballpark that old-time feel.

If there are others that you know of and would like us to review in a future Monday Music Review, please leave the artists, album names or songs in the comments section.