Richard Holmes (organist)
Encyclopedia
Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (Camden
, New Jersey
, May 2, 1931 – St. Louis, Missouri
, June 29, 1991) was an American
jazz
organist
who performed in the hard bop
and soul jazz
genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty
", and is considered a precursor of acid jazz
.
Holmes' first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster
, was recorded in March 1961.
His sound was immediately recognizable in the upper register, but even more so because of his virtuosity in creating, undoubtedly, the most rapid, punctuating, and pulsating basslines of all the jazz organists.
Though he died at the age of 60, he established a recognition within the community of jazz organ giants of Jimmy Smith
(The Sermon!
), Brother Jack McDuff (A Real Good 'Un), Jimmy McGriff
(I've Got a Woman).
He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige Records
, Groove Merchant
and Muse Records
, many of which featured Houston Person
.
Holmes died after a long struggle with prostate cancer
, having performed his last concerts in a wheelchair. One of his last gigs was at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival
with his longtime friend, singer Jimmy Witherspoon
. A year after his death, the Beastie Boys
honoured Holmes by adding an organ-based instrumental track, Groove Holmes to their album Check Your Head
.
Compilations
)Blue Groove (1994) (Prestige) (Soul Mist!+Get Up & Get It!)
After Hours (1996) (Pacific Jazz) (Compilation of After Hours+Tell It Like It Is)
Legends of Acid Jazz (1997) (Prestige) (The Groover+That Healin' Feelin')
Groove's Groove (1998) (32 Jazz)
The Best Of The Pacific Jazz Years (2001) (Pacific Jazz)
Groovin' With Groove (2003) (LRC) (Groove Merchant Years)
Timeless (2003) (Savoy Jazz)
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, May 2, 1931 – St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, June 29, 1991) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
who performed in the hard bop
Hard bop
Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...
and soul jazz
Soul jazz
Soul jazz is a development of jazz incorporating strong influences from blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues in music for small groups, often an organ trio featuring a Hammond organ.- Overview :Soul jazz is often associated with hard bop. Mark C...
genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty
Misty (song)
"Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner.Originally composed as an instrumental following the traditional 32-bar format, the tune later had lyrics by Johnny Burke and became the signature song of Johnny Mathis, reaching #12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in 1959...
", and is considered a precursor of acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
.
Holmes' first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
, was recorded in March 1961.
His sound was immediately recognizable in the upper register, but even more so because of his virtuosity in creating, undoubtedly, the most rapid, punctuating, and pulsating basslines of all the jazz organists.
Though he died at the age of 60, he established a recognition within the community of jazz organ giants of Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith (musician)
Jimmy Smith was a jazz musician whose performances on the Hammond B-3 electric organ helped to popularize this instrument...
(The Sermon!
The Sermon!
The Sermon! is a 1958 album by jazz organist Jimmy Smith. It was produced by the Blue Note record label. Allmusic's Lindsay Planer described the album as "a prime example of Smith and company's myriad of talents".-Personnel:* Jimmy Smith - organ...
), Brother Jack McDuff (A Real Good 'Un), Jimmy McGriff
Jimmy McGriff
James Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
(I've Got a Woman).
He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige Records
Prestige Records
Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
, Groove Merchant
Groove Merchant
Groove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was ran by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, and Lionel Hampton to name a few...
and Muse Records
Muse Records
Muse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
, many of which featured Houston Person
Houston Person
Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. Person is also known for his distinctive sassy sound and his expressive style of playing...
.
Holmes died after a long struggle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, having performed his last concerts in a wheelchair. One of his last gigs was at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival
Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events, and always occurs in early June...
with his longtime friend, singer Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon was an American jump blues singer.-Early life and career:James Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. He first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during...
. A year after his death, the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
honoured Holmes by adding an organ-based instrumental track, Groove Holmes to their album Check Your Head
Check Your Head
Check Your Head is the third studio album by the Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992.Three years elapsed between the release of Paul's Boutique and their recording of this album. Check Your Head was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California in 1991...
.
Discography
Albums- Groove (1961) (Pacific Jazz) (also released as "That Healin' Feelin'") (with Les McCannLes McCannLes McCann is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.-Biography:...
) - After Hours (1961) (Pacific Jazz)
- Groovin' with Jug (1961) (Pacific Jazz)
- Tell It Like It Is (1961) (Pacific Jazz) (with Les McCann)
- Somethin' Special (1962) (Pacific Jazz) (with Les McCann)
- Book of the Blues Vol. 1 (1964) (Warner Bros)
- Soul Message (1965) (Prestige RecordsPrestige RecordsPrestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
) - Misty (1965) (Prestige)
- Spicy (1966) (with Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones)
- Living Soul (1966) (Prestige)
- Soul Mist! (1966) (Prestige) (Released 1970)
- On Basie's Bandstand (1966) (Prestige) (Released 2000)
- A Bowl of Soul (1967) (Loma)
- Get Up and Get It! (1967) (Prestige)
- Super Soul (1967) (Prestige)
- Soul Power (1967) (Prestige)
- That Healin' Feelin (1968) (Prestige)
- The Groover! (1968) (Prestige)
- Welcome Home (1969) (World Pacific Jazz)
- Workin' on a Groovy Thing (1969) (World Pacific Jazz)
- Come Together (1970) (World Pacific Jazz) (with Ernie WattsErnie WattsErnest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
) - X-77 Recorded Live at the Lighthouse (1970) (World Pacific Jazz)
- Comin' on HomeComin' on HomeComin' on Home is an album by American organist Richard Groove Holmes recorded in 1971 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was Holmes' only release on the label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars....
(1971) (Blue NoteBlue Note RecordsBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
) - American Pie (1972) (Groove MerchantGroove MerchantGroove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was ran by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, and Lionel Hampton to name a few...
) - Night Glider (1973) (Groove Merchant)
- New Groove (1974) (Groove Merchant)
- Giants Of The Organ Come Together (1974) (Groove Merchant) (with Jimmy McGriffJimmy McGriffJames Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
) - Giants Of The Organ In Concert (1974) (Groove Merchant) (with Jimmy McGriffJimmy McGriffJames Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
) - Onsaya Joy (1974) (Live) (Flying Dutchman)
- Six Million Dollar man (1975) (Flying Dutchman)
- I'm in the Mood for Love (1976) (Flying Dutchman)
- Shippin' Out (1977) (Muse RecordsMuse RecordsMuse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
) - Star Wars/Close Encounters (1977) (Versatile)
- Dancing In The Sun (1977) (Versatile)
- Good Vibrations (1977) (Muse) (Released 1980)
- Broadway (1980) (Muse)
- Swedish Lullaby (1984) (Sison)
- Blues All Day Long (1988) (Muse)
- Hot Tat (1989) (Muse)
Compilations
- The Best of Richard "Groove" Holmes (1972) (Prestige)
- Hunk-A-Funk (1975) (Groove Merchant) (Night Glider+New Groove)
- Supa Cookin
Jimmy McGriff
James Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
)