Richard "Groove" Holmes
1966
Living Soul
![R-2158398-1290244743.jpeg.jpg]()
01. Living Soul 8:30
02. Blue For Yna Yna 5:12
03. The Girl From Ipanema 5:00
04. Gemini 9:40
05. Over The Rainbow 7:00
Drums – George Randall
Guitar – Gene Edwards
Organ – Richard "Groove" Holmes
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.
Recorded live at Count Basie's in Harlem on April 12, 1966, this is a decent trio set with Gene Edwards on guitar and George Randall on drums. The five tracks tend toward the long side, weighing in at a minimum of five minutes and, on the cover of Jimmy Heath's "Gemini," stretching out all the way to ten minutes. The relative lack of original material (only "Living Soul" is a Holmes composition) and the selection of several kinda corny standards to cover ("The Girl from Ipanema" and "Over the Rainbow") holds this back from the upper echelon of Holmes' recordings. Edwards is an underrated, sometimes fiery guitarist with a knack for choppy lines, as heard on "Blues for Yna Yna" (whose melody somewhat recalls "Summertime") and "Gemini." Living Soul and a studio session from 1966,
1966
Living Soul
01. Living Soul 8:30
02. Blue For Yna Yna 5:12
03. The Girl From Ipanema 5:00
04. Gemini 9:40
05. Over The Rainbow 7:00
Drums – George Randall
Guitar – Gene Edwards
Organ – Richard "Groove" Holmes
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.
Recorded live at Count Basie's in Harlem on April 12, 1966, this is a decent trio set with Gene Edwards on guitar and George Randall on drums. The five tracks tend toward the long side, weighing in at a minimum of five minutes and, on the cover of Jimmy Heath's "Gemini," stretching out all the way to ten minutes. The relative lack of original material (only "Living Soul" is a Holmes composition) and the selection of several kinda corny standards to cover ("The Girl from Ipanema" and "Over the Rainbow") holds this back from the upper echelon of Holmes' recordings. Edwards is an underrated, sometimes fiery guitarist with a knack for choppy lines, as heard on "Blues for Yna Yna" (whose melody somewhat recalls "Summertime") and "Gemini." Living Soul and a studio session from 1966,