Search - Richard Groove Holmes :: Best of the Pacific Jazz Years

The tip of a groovy iceberg!

Dr.D.Treharne | Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom | 05/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps more than anything this album illustrates just how much "Groove" Holmes material is in the vault, waiting to be remastered. The material here is culled from eight albums recorded between 1961 and 1968 for Pacific Jazz. The styles run the whole gamut from trio work through to big band arrangements. Track one was "live" recorded at a club date,whilst "The Wailer" was recorded with a big band (and has two stunning solo's by Teddy Edwards and Carmell Jones) whilst "Secret Love" and "Hallelujah I love her so" were recorded with a basic trio of Gene Edwards on guitar and Leroy Henderson on drums.Favourites for me are "Groovin Time" from the 1968 album "Welcome Home" recorded with an octet that included Wilton Felder on baritone and "Sweatin'" which has Joe Pass on guitar in a trio setting.One of the features of this selection is the fact that Holmes managed to secure the services of top-notch sidemen for his sessions,Ben Webster for example. Reading the sleeve notes produces some real suprises,musicians under contract to other labels turning up with pseudonyms to complete a session and not incur the wrath of their own label.This is a great introduction to the work of a seminal player who was never afraid to experiment. Surely there will be a volume two to follow soon?"