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Is there another instrument out there as cool as the Hammond Organ? Is there another axe that is so versatile, capable of producing sounds for soulful lines, aggressive solos, mellow ballads or gospel songs? Show this critic someone who thinks there's a comparable instrument out there and this critic will show you someone who's never heard Larry Goldings play.

After spending the last few years as a sideman for jazz / funk veterans Maceo Parker and John Scofield, Goldings has released his Warner Brothers' debut, and "Whatever it Takes" is a monster, deserving of being up there with the best jazz or instrumental albums of the year.

Goldings couldn't do all of this alone, so he brought along rising jazz star Bill Stewart on drums and Peter Bernstein on guitar, as well as a guest list including Parker, David Sanborn, Joshua Redman and Fred Wesley.

Goldings orchestrated the group so that each player got enough room to let their personal styles come through in everything they play, from slow blues numbers to more upbeat funk to straight ahead swing. And the songs are arranged as such so you'll hear a swing solo by Bernstein on one track, immediately followed by a straight-up funk improv by Maceo on the very next track.

Now that he's got his own album, Goldings has room to solo, something that Parker and Scofield never gave him enough room to do. He doesn't disappoint in any genre that he solos in, especially in the standard "Willow Weep for Me," where he rips through all sorts of blues gestures while holding down a bass line with his left hand on the lower register of the organ.

Goldings also demonstrates some solid piano and clavinet playing throughout, always choosing the right instrument for the right moment. Bernstein and Stewart prove to be more than just able supporting players -- Bernstein sounds as comfortable soloing and comping in swing as he does in funk, always creative and solid. Drummer Stewart is becoming one of those musicians whose playing is instantly recognizable; his touch and style stand out quite a bit from other drummers on the scene.

Not every song is great on "Whatever it Takes," and some of the funk numbers sound a little stuffy, mostly due to the over-produced sound that affects too many jazz recordings these days. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a jazz album released this year that is more accessible and generally solid than "Whatever it Takes." If this is just the beginning for Larry Goldings, music listeners everywhere have a great deal to look forward to.