Larry Goldings Pedaling His Way to Success With Trios

Larry Goldings was well on his way to becoming an important jazz keyboardist in 1991, having studied with distinguished pianists Keith Jarrett, Sir Roland Hanna and Jaki Byard.

He also had a visible post in guitarist Jim Hall’s ambitious ensemble, and led his own trio during weekly sessions at Augie’s, a tiny, now defunct club near New York City’s Columbia University. Then he got a visit from Maceo Parker, James Brown’s longtime saxophonist.

Now, after a three-year stint with Parker, Goldings is best known as an organist, with half a dozen recordings out, most on major labels. He’ll make a rare West Coast appearance Friday through Sunday at Steamers Cafe in Fullerton with drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Ron Eschete.

“I didn’t have any organ experience,” Goldings said by telephone recently from his home in Brooklyn. “I was doing a keyboard setup at Augie’s and eventually began using a [synthesized] organ, but I didn’t gain much experience on the Hammond B-3 until I went with Maceo. It changed my whole life.”

Goldings, now 31, was an up-and-coming pianist with a few connections when he secured the regular gig at Augie’s in 1988. “It was basically a dive, but it was close to the university and a lot of young people would come in,” he said. “A lot of good young players--[drummer] Leon Parker, [saxophonists] Jesse Davis and Chris Potter--played there, but we had to pass the hat for money.”

There came a time that they all got tired of the poor pay and threatened to leave, he said.

“But having a regular place to play, you couldn’t ask for anything better. It’s a precious thing to have a regular gig, a repertoire to work with, a group that you can develop.”

The trio that eventually came together at Augie’s, with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart, is still together after 11 years. They’re heard on Goldings new Palmetto label recording “Moonbird,” a collection of Goldings originals plus Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today.” It was drummer Stewart, in fact, that Parker was initially interested in.

“Maceo came to [Augie’s] looking for a drummer, and that’s when he saw me there,” Goldings said. “Six months later, Maceo asked me to join his band.”

Parker, known for his associations with both Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic mastermind George Clinton, was then out on his own, cutting records for Verve and touring the country. Goldings found himself learning on the job.

“I never took any lessons on the organ, but while I was with Maceo, I grew more comfortable with it. It took me a couple months to understand my role as a funk player. There was no bass player in the band. I had to play the bass parts on the organ. Doing it every night, after going back and listening to the original versions of the tunes [Parker] wanted to play, I got to know how to phrase the bass lines, how to make the right sounds.”

Parker’s record label, Verve, was so impressed with the young keyboardist that they picked up his first album, “The Intimacy of the Blues.” After his trio recorded a collection of bossa nova organ tunes, “Caminhos Cruzados,” for the Novus label, he signed with Warner and recorded three discs.

Adding to his visibility was a stint with popular jazz guitarist John Scofield, who hired Goldings for his band in 1993. “John wanted to do some of that Eddie Harris-Les McCann kind of stuff, use that organ trio sound. So he hired me for [Scofield’s R&B-influenced;] “Hand Jive” session, and I went out on the road with him for three years.”

Goldings said his organ work has been influenced in particular by rock and funk keyboardist Billy Preston. “He spoke on the organ in a way that inspired me, that gospel influence in his playing really blew me away. The way he plays behind Aretha Franklin on the studio version of ‘Bridge Over Trouble Water’ changed my whole world.”

Not all of Goldings’ influences were organists. While a student at New York City’s New School for Social Research, he had instruction from respected pianists Fred Hersch, Hanna and the late Byard. Goldings said he still mourns the death of Byard earlier this year.

“Jaki was a huge influence, a very original thinker. He was attached to tradition, but he was a modern thinker as well.”

Goldings also had the unusual experience of taking three private lessons from the esteemed pianist Jarrett.

“I was pretty young, and my mind was elsewhere half the time, I was so star-struck,” he recalled. “He would talk way over my head. But we played two pianos, he played for me, showing how he made his sound and that there are no tricks, no wires or mirrors.”

Goldings will appear on popular saxophonist Michael Brecker’s new album “Time Is of the Essence” and on guitarist Pat Metheny’s next CD. Because of his trio mates’ popularity, it has become harder and harder to schedule performances with them. Bernstein travels with pianist-vocalist Diana Krall and Stewart is the first call drummer for any number of forward-thinking musicians.

“I’ve worked with [drummer] Jeff [Hamilton] before in groups with saxophonist Harry Allen, something I’ve always enjoyed. My job is to manipulate the sound of the organ in a very personal way, make the thing speak and breathe. That’s the biggest challenge: to make the music breathe.”

Larry Goldings appears with drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Ron Eschete at Steamers Cafe, 138 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton; Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. $5. (714) 871-8800.