Joe Krown Organ Combo, Down & Dirty (STR Digital)

Joe Krown, Down and Dirty, album coverRound these parts,  is known for three things: his stints with the legendary Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and local hepcats Amy and the Hank Sinatras; his Monday night gig at the Maple Leaf’s Traditional Piano Night (a spot only ever held by Krown, James Booker, and Professor Longhair himself); and last year’s piano primer, Just The Piano, Just The Blues, one of the finest local piano CDs of the decade.

Let’s make that four things. Krown is back with Down and Dirty, his official debutante ball on Hammond B-3, at which Krown is one of the city’s undisputed masters. And his friends are here to pay homage: Gatemouth’s incredibly fluid leads appear on three tracks, the Sinatras are all over (including Amy herself with a sultry vocal on Krown’s “You’ll Be Crying”), and Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone drags everything gloriously down into the mud on “Sidewalk Strut” and “Make It Real.”

Ironically, with all the guests and the fairly flat production, Krown almost gets lost on his own CD. A classic sideman’s curse, except that halfway through, Joe begins to. take center stage and lets the Hammond carry the mood entirely.

“You’re The One” (ironically, an equal-opportunity Combo composition) finds Krown painting mean streets mand smoky club murals with his instrument, and “Do That Thing” and “Royal Flush” swing and soothe like one mint julep on a sweltering summer night. The highlight is the bump-and-grind of “Makin’ It,” where Joe finally uncoils the snake and lets it bite.

It’s not the best possible intro to Joe, but Down and Dirty will give you full access to the Big Easy’s Booker T. Just as sure as Joe’s gonna get that redhead on the cover.