If you're in the mood for some of that juicy, satisfying, blues-inflected and soulful-as-hell organ jazz served up Jimmy Smith-style, check out these 1964 BBC TV appearances from Smith and his trio: The Sermon, Wagon Wheels, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Uptempo Blues and Theme from Mondo Cane. [more inside]
posted by flapjax at midnite on Apr 29, 2009 - 16 comments

Suit alleges that her partner of 18 years and her children were denied access to dying woman in Florida hospital. Due to her organ donation, however, Lisa Marie Pond’s heart survives.
posted by Morrigan on Feb 7, 2009 - 38 comments

Pyrophones are organs where the notes are sounded via explosions or other forms of combustion. Often beautiful just to look at, they also make otherwordly noises (open up all these links at once for a real wake-up). Unlike other fire-based instruments, they can even play recognizeable melodies. Here's how to make one. They've become quite popular at events (7 MB video, more videos) like Burning Man, but they've been around since the 17-1800's. If you're new to experimental instruments, a read/listen through Gravikords, Whirlies and Pyrophones should be your next stop. Related: chemical harmonica, burning harmonica, singing tubes. [via & prev.]
posted by jessamyn on Jan 4, 2009 - 29 comments

Keyboard wizzard and Jerry Garcia Band collaborator Merl Saunders dead. More in the Wiki entry.
posted by fixedgear on Oct 24, 2008 - 25 comments

Is it time to redefine death? In a recent article in the NEJM, a team of doctors described decreasing the period after cessation of heart function in order to collect donations and increase their viability. This has spiked some debate over the definition of brain death and the "irreversibility" of asystole after removing life support. An introduction to the situation and the arguments. An interesting round table discussion, chaired by Atul Gawande. "The ethically relevant precondition is valid consent...with such consent, there is no harm or wrong done in retrieving vital organs before death, provided that anesthesia is administered." "This means that under current law, it is not possible to procure a transplantable heart after cardiac death. There are two possible ways out of this dilemma. Both involve legal changes." "To what extent should society permit manipulation of an organ donor or alteration of the determination of human death for the good of organ recipients?" Previously [more inside]
posted by shokod on Aug 24, 2008 - 26 comments

A recently divulged casualty of the Iowa floods (previously covered on Mefi here) is the Mighty Wurlitzer organ at the Paramount Theater. The pictures are pretty awful, and the video is even worse. If you grew up in Cedar Rapids any time in the last 80 years, you'll have heard the Wurlitzer on at least one occasion. Cedar Rapidians are vowing to "Return and Rebuild". [more inside]
posted by thanotopsis on Jun 20, 2008 - 5 comments

Once again, David Byrne plays the building. [more inside]
posted by Fuzzy Skinner on Jun 13, 2008 - 37 comments

If you were around between the 1870s and the early 1900s, you were rocking out to the sweet tunes of the organette. Some were ornate wooden boxes played by turning a crank. Cool kids had tiny organette/harmonica hybrids called Rolmonicas that were played by mouth. Other variations included the Celestina, the Musical Casket, the Playasax, the PlaRola, and the Triola mechanical zither among others. Happen to have one? Pull it out of that yard sale! You can still find music for it.
posted by katillathehun on Mar 18, 2008 - 6 comments

"There are literally millions of tone qualities and endless shades of dynamic level available on the Hammond organ." [more inside]
posted by Floydd on Jan 26, 2008 - 20 comments

Demi-Lee Brennan received a liver transplant at the age of nine. Her doctors were rather surprised when her body subsequently took on the immune system of the organ donor and her blood type changed from O-negative to O-positive.
posted by the duck by the oboe on Jan 25, 2008 - 35 comments

This IS safe for work despite the title. I've never seen a woman touch an organ with quite as much enthusiasm and skill.
posted by nangsta on Jan 12, 2008 - 41 comments

Surely this must be a double, right? I mean, you've got this great and strange program, Addi's Inflatable Minute, and this incredibly strange but somewhat haunting instrument and its all in one You Tube Link? People don't actually make this sort of content in real life, do they?
posted by Ogre Lawless on Jan 11, 2008 - 30 comments

The world's largest operating musical instrument? Hear it here. New York Times article here. (Log-in may be necessary)
posted by flapjax at midnite on Jul 2, 2007 - 23 comments

Roses on a piano, tulips on an organ (as mentioned here), but who knew that there are so many people who make their own pipe organs or illustrate how to make pipes (simple or complex).
posted by plinth on Oct 15, 2006 - 3 comments

China is reported to be harvesting organs from Falun Gong members without their consent. Elsewhere, to increase the numbers of donated organs, the organ donation system is opt-out rather than opt-in for the entire population.
posted by DataPacRat on Jul 7, 2006 - 47 comments

E and E-sharp will end tomorrow. Only 631 and a half years to go.
posted by arse_hat on May 4, 2006 - 58 comments

The Great Stalacpipe Organ. This unique, one-of-a-kind instrument was invented in 1954 by Mr. Leland W. Sprinkle of Springfield, Virginia, a mathematician and electronic scientist at the Pentagon. He began his monumental 3 year project by searching the vast chambers of the caverns selecting stalactites to precisely match a musical scale. Electronic mallets were wired throughout the caverns and connected to a large four-manual console. When a key is depressed, a tone occurs as the rubber-tipped plunger strikes the stalactite tuned to concert pitch. (scroll down for mp3).
posted by Astro Zombie on Mar 22, 2006 - 24 comments

Jimmy Smith (wikipedia) passed away last night. [ mi ]
posted by bluedaniel on Feb 9, 2005 - 47 comments

Banned by the Vatican and created by a tone deaf engineer... presenting the Hammond.
posted by drezdn on Aug 30, 2004 - 20 comments

Give my body to medical science (If medical science will have me).

This might make owning a donor card somewhat academic (for UK humans at least), but until then I am making sure it's something I not longer perpetually forget to do. How to become an organ donor; or sign up online.

(Provide a link for your own homeland please!)
posted by ed\26h on Jun 28, 2004 - 25 comments

Unmitigated gall. The illegal aliens who got two hearts and two lungs for their daughter REFUSED to have any of her organs donated when it was clear she was brain-dead...
posted by MattD on Feb 22, 2003 - 240 comments

The Peterson beer powered organ. Its like being the conductor of a well trained ensemble of jug playing hillbillies. (with sound samples)
posted by skallas on Feb 3, 2002 - 10 comments

Arabs donate 'martyr' organs to help Israelis
This story gives me hope.
posted by tomcosgrave on Jun 7, 2001 - 4 comments

organ transplant needs Only the extreme of religious people might object to organ transplants, but what do we do with an increasing need and insufficient donors?
posted by Postroad on Jan 22, 2001 - 33 comments