In 1989, the world was introduced to an exuberant young musician, who, at the age of 17, released his first album, “All of Me.” Since then, he has been one of the biggest contributing factors to bringing the hulking Hammond B-3 organ back into the limelight of jazz musicians.

More than 20 albums later, Joey DeFrancesco is almost universally revered by jazz critics and musicians alike, modeling himself after his hero and eventual mentor, the late Jimmy Smith. Smith, a previous master of the Hammond B-3, died in 2005 at 79. Before his death, Smith called DeFrancesco the finest player of the bulky instrument alive.

“After Joey,” Smith said, “nobody else is close.”

So it was with great fanfare that Krannert Center for the Performing Arts welcomed The Joey DeFrancesco Trio, who played three shows in Krannert’s Studio Theater on Feb. 22, 23 and 24. The Krannert administration chose the smaller Studio Theater venue for DeFrancesco’s series of shows for the specific atmosphere that it would bring to the performances.

“In the studio there is this incredible cabaret vibe that creates a real intimacy between the artists and the audiences and that’s what we wanted to offer,” said Bridget Lee-Calfas, Krannert Center’s Public Information Director. “To increase capacity, we were able to offer three performances which would make the seat equivalent equal to having one night in a larger space.”

In this way, Lee-Calfas said that they hoped to create a more close-knit atmosphere than an audience would typically experience in a larger venue. The smaller setting would recreate the cozy, smoke-filled jazz club setting that DeFrancesco grew up around.

“I have quite the affinity for smoky, old city-type clubs,” said DeFrancesco. “But I’ll play anywhere, really.”

DeFrancesco had never visited the University campus before and didn’t know quite what to expect when it came to the audiences of his three sold-out shows. He didn’t know whether they would be older Champaign-area jazz enthusiasts or a younger student crowd.

“We expect an eclectic mix of audiences – jazz enthusiasts, University of Illinois students and faculty,” said Lee-Calfas before the shows. This was indeed the case, as Saturday’s show in particular showcased a room full of both old and young tapping their toes to the beat.

“When it comes to the crowd, I say old, young, I don’t care as long as they’re hip,” DeFrancesco said.

The organist’s upbeat, energetic attitude has only enhanced his standing among living jazz musicians, which was already cemented by his tours with such famous jazz musicians as the legendary Miles Davis.

Student jazz enthusiasts are among those excited about DeFrancesco’s coming shows, helping to sell out all three of DeFrancesco’s performances several months ahead of time.

“I bought my tickets to see Joey in October,” said Tim Meyers, a freshman jazz enthusiast in Education. “I can’t wait to see his show. I had never heard of him before seeing the advertisements on the Krannert Center’s Web site, but I started listening to his music and the guy is amazing. I can’t believe how much he’s accomplished already, and he’s only 35.”

Meyers has been a jazz fan since introduced to the genre by his high school band director.

“We used to listen to jazz CDs after band practices, and that really sparked my interest in it,” he said.

Meyers plays tuba for the University Concert Band I and has even played tuba in a jazz ensemble.

For other students, like Kyle Newgard, sophomore in Education, a few notes of DeFrancesco was all it took to get hooked.

“I’ve been a fan of Joey since the first time I heard him,” Newgard said minutes before the show began. “I bought my tickets in spring, as soon as they went on sale.”

Newgard is also a jazz enthusiast who plays trombone in the University’s Concert Jazz Band.

“Playing trombone is what really got me interested in jazz,” he said. “I love Joey’s music because of everything he brings into it, all these great bluesy sorts of licks.”

To aspiring musicians like Meyers and Newgard, and especially those interested in the field of jazz, DeFrancesco had some advice: “Make sure you know the idiom’s history. Study, practice and all that. But most of all, you have to listen … to everything! Blues, bop, mainstream, funk, soul, etc. Inspiration comes from all around you.”