Music of Maryland characterized by the use of the B3 organ. Many modern Baltimorean jazz musicians are renowned saxophonists, including Gary Thomas, Gary Bartz and the Afro-Caribbean influenced TK Blue. Internationally acclaimed jazz ensemble Fertile Ground are also based in Baltimore. Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne lived in Baltimore. Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Clutch, Good Charlotte, All Time Low, and O.A.R. are other popular American rock bands with strong ties to Maryland. Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas was from Maryland, and began her singing career there. Another Maryland band similar to the Mamas and Papas, the Peppermint Rainbow, was
The Mamas & the Papas singles charted in the UK. The Mamas & the Papas cut their first three albums at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, while the group's subsequent releases were recorded at the eight-track studio John and Michelle Phillips built at their home in Bel Air (at a time when four-track recording was still the norm). John Phillips said, "I got the idea to transform the attic into my own recording studio, so I could stay high all the time and never have to worry about studio time. I began assembling the state-of-the-art equipment and ran the cost up to about a hundred