Classic Boa 9.2024

Richard Arnold ‘Groove’ Holmes, born May 2 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, was a jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. Best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty", Holmes's first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster, was recorded in March 1961. He recorded albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige, World Pacific Groove Merchant, and Muse. While Groove Holmes never attained the same kind of superstar status as fellow Hammond legend Jimmy Smith, Holmes was equally skilled in the keyboard pyrotechnics department. This collection brings together eight original LPs by this jazz maverick, all fully remastered and presented here on this new 4CD set. A pure delight for jazz fans of all stripes, this selection is both a perfect starting point for beginners, and a boon for all fans searching for this great man’s often hard to locate earliest recordings.

Richard Arnold ‘Groove’ Holmes, born May 2 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, was a jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. Best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty", Holmes's first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster, was recorded in March 1961. He recorded albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige, World Pacific Groove Merchant, and Muse. While Groove Holmes never attained the same kind of superstar status as fellow Hammond legend Jimmy Smith, Holmes was equally skilled in the keyboard pyrotechnics department. This collection brings together eight original LPs by this jazz maverick, all fully remastered and presented here on this new 4CD set. A pure delight for jazz fans of all stripes, this selection is both a perfect starting point for beginners, and a boon for all fans searching for this great man’s often hard to locate earliest recordings.

Richard Arnold ‘Groove’ Holmes, born May 2 1931 in Camden, New Jersey, was a jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. Best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty", Holmes's first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster, was recorded in March 1961. He recorded albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige, World Pacific Groove Merchant, and Muse. While Groove Holmes never attained the same kind of superstar status as fellow Hammond legend Jimmy Smith, Holmes was equally skilled in the keyboard pyrotechnics department. This collection brings together eight original LPs by this jazz maverick, all fully remastered and presented here on this new 4CD set. A pure delight for jazz fans of all stripes, this selection is both a perfect starting point for beginners, and a boon for all fans searching for this great man’s often hard to locate earliest recordings.

Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on April 14 1924, Milton "Shorty" Rogers was an American jazz musician, and one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arranger. He worked first as a professional musician with Will Bradley and Red Norvo. From 1947 to 1949, he worked extensively with Woody Herman and in 1950 and 1951 he played with Stan Kenton. Shorty Rogers only produced a couple more albums during the later 1960s, working largely as a sideman during this time. In the seventies he was equally quiet, and while there were a couple of stray releases in the 1980s, the records featured on this four CD set pretty much present the finest music this maverick musician and composer ever made. A superb starting point for those new to the great man’s records, and a delightful reminder for those already familiar, a collection of this magnitude is wholly overdue and this set will surely become the go-to source for fans everywhere.