Jazz / Soul Jazz, Hard Bop
Becky Wisdom Production Coordination
Bob Porter Liner Notes
Bob Shamis Photography
Bob Ward Drums
Bobby Ward Drums
Gene Paul Digital Mastering
Gerald Smith Guitar
Gerard Smith Guitar
Houston Person Sax (Tenor), Producer
Joel Dorn Series Producer
Michael Joyce Liner Notes
Mike Joyce Liner Notes
Ralph Dorsey Percussion, Conga
Richard "Groove" Holmes Organ, Performer
Rudy Van Gelder Engineer
W. Dale Cramer Design
By 1980, when Broadway was recorded, organist Richard "Groove" Holmes had already splashed onto the scene as an expansive adherent of Jimmy Smith's soul-jazz gospel, been a player in the music's modern boogaloo-acid jazz phase of the late '60s, and survived disco by dropping synthesizers into the mix. Finally arriving at the Muse label by the late '70s, Holmes settled into a loose amalgam of past proclivities, never forsaking his high musical standards and groove aesthetic. For this, his third Muse release, Holmes enlists fellow organ combo veteran Houston Person to produce and ostensibly co-lead on tenor saxophone; for his part, Holmes sublimely comps behind the soloists, electrifying the session with his fluidly nasty runs and sanctified musings on the B3. He presents a typically varied program of pop ("Moon River"), old standards ("Broadway"), and self-penned ballads and blues ("Katherine" and "Plenty, Plenty Blues"); the program's brevity is mirrored not only in the band's equal panache with both up-tempo and slow groove numbers, but also in the attractively cheesy line they ply with the occasional wind chime flourish, synth line, and disco guitar riffing. Holmes even notches up a little avant-garde cachet with an homage to progressive, Coltrane-inspired organist Larry Young. Throughout this cooking and stylish set, Holmes and Person are expertly supported by guitarist Gerald Smith, drummer Bobby Ward, and percussionist Ralph Dorsey. A great buy for soul-friendly jazz fans. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide
Richard "Groove" Holmes
Active Decade: '60s
Born: May 02, 1931 in Camden, NJ
Died: Jun 29, 1991 in St. Louis, MO
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Soul Jazz, Hard Bop
Revered in soul-jazz circles, Richard "Groove" Holmes was an unapologetically swinging Jimmy Smith admirer who could effortlessly move from the grittiest of blues to the most sentimental of ballads. Holmes, a very accessible, straightforward and warm player who was especially popular in the black community, had been well respected on the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey circuit by the time he signed with Pacific Jazz in the early '60s and started receiving national attention by recording with such greats as Ben Webster and Gene Ammons. Holmes, best known for his hit 1965 version of "Misty," engaged in some inspired organ battles with Jimmy McGriff in the early '70s before turning to electric keyboards and fusion-ish material a few years later. The organ was Holmes' priority in the mid- to late '80s, when he recorded for Muse (he also had stints throughout his career with Prestige Records and Groove Merchant) . Holmes was still delivering high-quality soul-jazz for Muse (often featuring tenor titan Houston Person) when a heart attack claimed his life at the age of 60 in 1991 after a long struggle with prostrate cancer. He was a musician to the end, playing his last shows in a wheelchair.
---Alex Henderson & Steve Leggett, All Music Guide |
