RIP Don Leslie

[Suit & Tie Guy <erwill@suitandtieguy.com>]

Don Leslie, creator of the Leslie rotating speaker cabinet and the 
first modulation effect, has left this world at the age of 93.

His creation made 90 percent of electric organ repertoire possible, and 
assisted textural music in non-obvious ways.

The extended bass response his cabinets gave the Hammond at once 
empowered us supper club organists, and put many a string bassist out 
of work. And what would "Stratosfear" have sounded like if it weren't 
for all the Leslied guitar, or who would have thought of the modulated 
delay line as a chorus effect to mimic the sound of Don's speaker?

Those of us who play organ and those of us who enjoy modulation effects 
have him to thank for a lot of things. So ... put on a Groove Holmes 
record, or a copy of Tangerine Dream's Rubycon, or just hit the A/B 
switch on your Vortex in his honour, if you see fit.
---
Eric Williamson
www.suitandtieguy.com