Jim Alfredson grooves his way to a lifetime award 

When lockdowns swept the world in spring of 2020, organist Jim Alfredson was prepared, in his own sweet way. 

His basement wasn’t stocked with beans, beer, guns and ammo, but it was equipped with a full recording studio and a magnificent instrument — the Hammond B-3 organ — that plays well with others, but really shines when you need to hold the fort alone. 

That makes 2020 the perfect year for Alfredson to get the 12th annual lifetime recognition award from the Jazz Alliance of Mid-Michigan. He’ll perform with two iterations of his long-lived organ trio Organissimo, now celebrating its 20th year, and special guests Greg Nagy on guitar, Michael Dease on trombone and soulful vocalist Freddie Cunningham in a live streamed award ceremony Sunday. 

Alfredson’s above-ground exploits, from topping charts and stretching boundaries with Organissimo to touring the globe with jazz and blues greats James Armstrong and Janiva Magness, were more than enough to earn him the award. 

But Alfredson outdid even himself in 2020. 

For 11 bleak weeks, “Live From Jimmy’s Basement” beamed live-streamed solo jazz to a pandemic-numbed populace. Alfredson swung, grooved, be-bopped, pitched woo and prog-rocked, pulling out all the stops until his band mates, guitarist Larry Barris and drummer Randy Marsh, could rejoin him in the basement in June. 

Since spring, “Organissimo Sundays” and “Jazz Tuesdays at Moriarty’s,” with drummer Jeff Shoup and special guests, have kept a flame lit for live jazz in Lansing and attracted viewers around the world. 

Incredibly, before those 10 weeks in spring, Alfredson had never played a solo gig or recorded a solo album. He drew upon a lifetime of experience and eclectic tastes to keep the concerts from getting stale. 

“I was learning new songs every week, trying not to repeat myself, trying to challenge myself, keep things fresh for me too,” he said. 

In late March, Alfredson had just returned from three exhausting months of road trips, including a tour in Canada with blues belter Thornetta Davis and tours of Spain and the U.S. West Coast with blues guitarist and singer James Armstrong. 

Returning home, he told his wife, Alison, “I’ve got to find a better balance here.” 

Then came the lockdown — not the rest he had in mind.  

“I’m just thankful that when all the gigs went away, I had the knowledge and the gear,” he said. “I didn’t have to invest much, and as far as I know, we were one of the first multi-cam professional audio live streams that were doing it that early.” 

Like everyone else, Alfredson had nights when his eyes popped open at 3 o’clock A.M. and he wondered when it all would end and what it was all for. It wasn’t just that musical gigs dried up; Alfredson’s heart broke for his daughters when their dreams of playing French horn in the Spartan Youth Ensemble and entering a figure skating competition were scotched. 

“At that point, I just decided to try and take it one day at a time, keep focused on my own goals, help other musicians keep jazz going, try to help my kids and my wife get through this,” he said. 

Alfredson was equipped for the moment in more ways than one. He grew up with five sisters and a brother and his parents in a tiny two-bedroom farmhouse in the cornfields in the middle of Mason. 

“Believe it or not, I’ve always been kind of a solitary person anyway,” he said.  “Growing up in that environment, my propensity is to put on the headphones, put a record on or plug into a keyboard and disappear. That’s my little space and that hasn’t really changed.” 

Despite nationwide (and worldwide) success and recognition, Alfredson is glad he settled in Lansing with his wife, Alison, and three daughters. 

“Lansing’s a great place to raise kids and I wanted to be somewhere they would thrive,” he said. “Nothing ever happens here, no mudslides, hurricanes, wildfires.” 

Not that he hasn’t contemplated moving to a bigger market.  

“Alison and I talked about moving to Nashville, Atlanta, the east coast, Philadelphia,” he said. “But once you have kids, it’s important to be close to family.” 

For many longtime Lansing jazz lovers, a highlight of Sunday’s tribute will be the return of Organissimo’s first guitarist, Joe Glostott, who went by the name Joe Gloss in the Organissimo days. 

At Sunday’s tribute, Organissimo will live stream two sets, the first with current guitarist Lawrence Barris, the second with Glostott, and a finale with both guitarists joining Alfredson and Marsh. 

Glostott is now based in Milwaukee, where he works as a physical therapist and jiu-jitsu instructor. He has been keeping up his lyrical, richly patterned guitar skills by playing solo acoustic, but he’s also developed some new techniques (“new arpeggios and new ways of getting around the neck”) on the electric guitar. 

A decade ago, Glostott left Organissimo and Lansing, in part, out of frustration over his own musical limitations. 

“When I look back at that time in my life, it was hard to feel at peace with myself musically,” he said. The years have given him a more balanced perspective. He’s been listening to Organissimo CDs like “Groovadelphia” and its philosophical-lyrical core composition, “If Not Now, When?” 

“I was taken aback by how soulful it was, and what a neat arrangement,” he said. “I don’t like every last thing we did, but most of it holds up really well and I enjoy listening to it.” 

The challenge for Glostott Sunday is re-learning melodies and chords he hasn’t touched in years. He’s been practicing for one or two hours a day for the past two months leading up to Sunday’s tribute. 

“I’m going to just go in, relax and try to be in the moment and really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a part of my life that I look back on fondly and I’m glad to revisit and almost put a bow on it — ‘Hey, guys, it was great stuff, and I’m here to acknowledge that and have some fun.’ I just wish we could do it all in person and have everybody there.” 

Jazz Alliance of Mid-Michigan 

12th Annual 2021 Tribute 

Jim Alfredson, organissimo, special guests 

2-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 

Livestream at facebook.com/jazzjamm 

Proceeds go to JAMM Musician Relief Fund 

Donations can be made now and during the event