The debate over who brought guitar distortion to popular music will probably never die, but no one can argue against its impact. Aside from Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, nothing has shaped rock and roll like the noise created by a simple tear in a conical piece of fabric. Only time will tell what distortion will do for the Hammond B3 organ. What started as a one-man roller rink soundtrack has evolved into one of the most distinctive sounds in the jazz universe and has stretched the genre as much in the last ten years as any single musician.
