Cameron Carpenter's musical virtuosity, speed, and dexterity border on the superhuman. His showmanship has exposed classical and theatre organ repertoire to a newer and wider audience than the genre has ever enjoyed. And he has some very strong and articulate views on why the organ (not the Hammond B-3, but the organ in the more general sense) is wrongly perceived as a stodgy, boring, prissy instrument--and what needs to be done to change that and ensure a vital future for organists. We have a comprehensive interview coming up in the August 2012 issue, but for now, we'd like to tease you with these videos shot at New York's Le Poisson Rouge club, where Carpenter recently played an uncharacteristic set on the Hammond B-3.

 

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