b. 12 July 1935, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, d. 19 March 2002, Montclair, New Jersey, USA. Unusually for a Hammond organ master, Patton was not born in Philadelphia. His mother played piano in church, and Patton took the instrument up in 1948. He played in the Lloyd Price band from 1954-59, quitting just as Price topped his 1952 hit "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" with a string of three million-sellers. Patton moved to New York and switched to the Hammond organ. He was signed to Blue Note Records on the recommendation of Lou Donaldson, debuting with Along Came John in 1963, which featured Grant Green on guitar. In the late 60s he worked with tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan and guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, as well as sitting in with Sun Ra's musicians.

Listen to Big John Patton at Finetune.

• Soul Man
• Latona
• The Silver Metre
• Ain't That Peculiar
• Fat Judy

• John Mayall
• Jimmy Smith
• Bill Evans Quintet
• Boogaloo Joe Jones
• Jimmy McGriff
• Les McCann
• Jack McDuff
• Cannonball Adderley
• Janis Joplin
• Led Zeppelin
• Al Caiola/Billy May
• Al Kooper
• All Star Orchestra
• Art Blakey Quintet
• Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
• BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS
• Blood, Sweat & Tears
• Buddy Guy
• Cassandra Wilson
• Jeff Beck