Truth be told, I’m a “Wurlitzer guy.”  Mind you, there are wonderful Bartons, and Robert-Morton’s, and Kimballs, etc.  But there is something about that Wurlitzer sound that I find most appealing.  Two in particular have always topped my list – and since this blog is “IMHO,” thus in my humble opinion – I’m comfortable offering my list and delighted to open the door for discussion on somebody else’s list.  My two:  the Oakland Paramount, and above them all, Shea’s Buffalo.  Those two organs in those two rooms are simply stunning.

I’m of the belief that oddly enough, the explosion of interest in the theatre organ generated by the pizza parlor craze that ran from the 1960’s into the 1990’s had a lot to do with great advancement of the instrument.

The instruments got bigger – not to state that is the most important factor – but with bigger, and more of these restaurants, came the need for a more reliable instrument.  The level of craftsmanship rose; the level of musicianship rose; and the art form grew immeasurably.

With that came that same increase with many who owned or controlled these organs.  Thus, the Barton at the Rialto in Joliet; or at the Warren Center in Indianapolis; the Kimball at Dickinson; Robert-Mortons in Columbus at the Ohio and at the Copley Hall in San Diego; the Page organs at the Embassy Theatre in Ft. Wayne and its little sister at the Anderson Paramount; these instruments and many, many, more got the royal rebuilding treatment.

This great level of craftsmanship raised the art form, to the benefit of an audience that now gets to listen to some fantastic theatre organs.

I moved to Atlanta in late summer of 2009.  I did some substituting for the late Larry-Douglas Embury at the Fox from time-to-time.  But since his passing in early 2017, I have had the opportunity to share the bench with Rick McGee, and I can tell you that this self-proclaimed “Wurlitzer guy” is absolutely in love with Mighty Mo.

To be sure, it IS different.  It is clearly not so much a Tibia-dominated sound, but those 13-ranks of strings place the focus on that division, and make the organ more orchestral in nature.  This demands a different approach to registration for the artist on the bench (or the Howard Seat, as it is at the Fox).  And I can assure you that over these past four years, I am STILL learning all kinds of new sounds and new ways to create music on Mighty Mo and I will guess that evolving and development will not stop.  The possibilities are seemingly endless.

But most importantly, the marriage of instrument, installation and room is incredible.  From the softest sounds of the Ethereal Chamber far to the upper right, to the thunderous sounds of full organ with the 32’ Diaphone pedal pipes shaking the big theatre, it is a stunning, thrilling, sumptuous and glorious sound not heard anywhere else.

Kudos to Fox Theatre management that has the foresight and the interest to present the great Möller organ to audiences more than 130 times a year.

There is nothing quite like the experience of hearing Mighty Mo at the Atlanta Fox.  Nothing quite like playing it, either.  J