By Sweet Baby J’ai
Cool.
Not trendy. Not manufactured. Not trying too hard. Just cool.
The last time I saw Carey Frank, he was sharing the stage with legendary drummer Roy McCurdy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the entire set, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. So when I heard the Carey Frank Organ Trio was rolling into Carousel at Agua Caliente Casino, I made a beeline downtown.
Because if you’re looking for cool, Carey Frank is your guy.
The Los Angeles-based organist, pianist, and arranger has played with everyone from Michael Bublé and Jane Monheit to Tedeschi Trucks Band and Bruce Springsteen, but none of that matters once he settles behind a Hammond organ. The résumé disappears. The groove takes over.
Jazz sometimes gets an unfair reputation for being exclusive or hard to access — maybe even like you’re signing up for a music history lesson — which may explain the light house. To truly appreciate an organ trio, you don’t need a music degree — but you do have to lean in. Improvisation is a language. A conversation. And when you feel it, that’s the invitation. If you weren’t there you missed a great night of music, groove, and three musicians having a whole lot of fun.
Frank, joined by guitarist Nadev Peled and drummer Mark Ferber, spent the evening speaking that language fluently.
The set wandered effortlessly across genres, decades, and moods. Frank’s original Palm Desert blues rubbed shoulders with jazz standards and rock classics. “I Say a Little Prayer” arrived dressed in fresh harmonic colors. “My Romance” offered a reminder that a beautiful melody never goes out of style.
What impressed me most wasn’t the song selection. It was the trust. Jazz audiences often focus on solos, but the real magic happens in the spaces between them. The eye contact. The subtle cues. The willingness to follow an unexpected idea wherever it leads. Throughout the night, Frank, Peled, and Ferber played like musicians who genuinely enjoy listening to one another.
Peled’s guitar work was especially striking. There were moments when his phrasing and touch felt so lyrical and inventive that I found myself thinking Wes Montgomery must have looked up and paid attention. Not imitation. Not homage. Just the kind of playing that reminds you why jazz guitar remains one of the most expressive voices in music.
And then came Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster.” That’s when church showed up.
Frank dug deep into the Hammond, pulling gospel textures and joyful rhythms from somewhere beyond the written notes. The groove was undeniable. As I looked around the room, I saw those familiar Palm Springs nods — cool, contained, appreciative. But not me. I was full-on bobblehead, because when a band takes you to church, sometimes you have to let the spirit move.
For a few glorious minutes, Carousel wasn’t a casino lounge. It was a sanctuary.
The trio continued their musical journey through Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows,” delivering a version filled with tenderness and respect for one of pop music’s greatest compositions. Then came an unexpected detour into Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” proving once again that great music doesn’t care much about genre boundaries.
A standout rendition of Wes Montgomery’s “Road Song” brought the evening back to its jazz roots before the trio closed with perhaps the most surprising choice of the night: “Rainbow Connection.”
Yes, Kermit’s song. And somehow, in the hands of these three musicians, it felt exactly right.
That’s the beauty of artists like Carey Frank. They understand that great music isn’t defined by category. It’s defined by honesty. Whether the source material comes from Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Led Zeppelin, Wes Montgomery, or a philosophical Muppet sitting on a log, the goal remains the same: find the truth inside the song and share it with the audience.
The Carey Frank Organ Trio doesn’t play songs — they have conversations. If you know the language, it was a beautiful night to be fluent.
On this night, Carey Frank, Nadev Peled, and Mark Ferber did exactly that.
Cool never has to announce itself. It simply takes a seat behind a Hammond organ and lets the music do the talking.
Catch the next great night of music at Carousel:
https://www.aguacalientecasinos.com/agua-specials/carousel
Sweet Baby J’ai writes The Groove Report for Coachella Valley Weekly
