As the late John Holmes would tell you, it’s damn near impossible to live up to a title as lofty as The Most Exciting Organ Ever, but Billy Preston does his best — the raw physical power of Preston’s performances are matched only by the imagination and virtuosity of his phrasing. The music bridges the sacred and the profane, fusing the deep, bold sound of the church with the razzle-dazzle of R&B. While Preston’s innovative use of bass pedals lends the music its pendulous bottom, his melodies defy gravity, soaring and dive bombing like birds of prey in flight. – Jason Ankeny