Richard Holmes (organist)

Occupation(s)Instrument(s)OrganYears active1961–1991Labels

Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre.^[1] He is best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty".^[2]

Career

Holmes's first album, on Pacific Jazz with guest Ben Webster, was recorded in March 1961.^[1] He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz, Prestige, Groove Merchant, and Muse, many of them with Houston Person.^[2]

He died of a heart attack after battling prostate cancer, having performed his last concerts in a wheelchair.^[2] One of his last gigs was at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival with his longtime friend, singer Jimmy Witherspoon.

Discography

As leader

• "Groove" (Les McCann Presents the Dynamic Jazz Organ of Richard "Groove" Holmes) [also released as That Healin' Feelin' ] (Pacific Jazz, 1961) – with Ben Webster
• Groovin' with Jug (Pacific Jazz, 1961) – with Gene Ammons
• Somethin' Special (Pacific Jazz, 1962) – with Les McCann
• After Hours (Pacific Jazz, 1961–1962)
• Tell It Like It Tis (Pacific Jazz, 1961–1962 [rel. 1966])
• Book of the Blues Vol. 1 (Warner Bros., 1964) – with Onzy Matthews' orchestra [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66707) in 2009]
• A Bowl of Soul (Loma/WB, 1966 [rel. 1967]) – with Onzy Matthews' orchestra [note: reissued on Groove Hut (#66707) in 2009]
• Blues For Spoon And Groove (Surrey, 1965) – with Jimmy Witherspoon [reissued as Groovin' and Spoonin' on Olympic/Everest in 1973]
• Soul Message (Prestige, 1965; CD reissue: OJC, 1988) [note: includes the original "full–length" version (6:00) of "Misty"]
• Living Soul (Recorded Live! at Count Basie's) (Prestige, 1966)
• On Basie's Bandstand [live] (Prestige, 1966 [rel. 2003])
• Soul Mist! (Prestige, 1966 [rel. 1970])
• Misty (Prestige, 1965–1966; CD reissue: OJC, 1992)
• Spicy! (Prestige, 1966)
• Super Soul (Prestige, 1967) – with Richard Evans
• Get Up & Get It! (Prestige, 1967)
• Soul Power! (Prestige, 1967)
• The Groover! (Prestige, 1968)
• That Healin' Feelin' (Prestige, 1968) – with Rusty Bryant
• Welcome Home (World Pacific, 1968)
• Workin' on a Groovy Thing (World Pacific, 1968)
• X–77: Richard "Groove" Holmes Recorded Live at the Lighthouse (World Pacific, 1969)
• Come Together (World Pacific, 1970) – with Ernie Watts
• Comin' on Home (Blue Note, 1971)
• American Pie (Groove Merchant, 1972)
• Night Glider (Groove Merchant, 1973)
• Giants of the Organ Come Together (Groove Merchant, 1973) – with Jimmy McGriff
• Giants of the Organ in Concert (Groove Merchant, 1973) – with Jimmy McGriff
• New Groove (Groove Merchant, 1974)
• Onsaya Joy [live] (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
• Six Million Dollar Man (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
• I'm in the Mood for Love (Flying Dutchman, 1976)
• Shippin' Out (Muse, 1977)
• Good Vibrations (Muse, 1977 [rel. 1980]) – with Houston Person, Bob DeVos, Idris Muhammad
• Dancing in the Sun (Versatile, 1978)
• Star Wars/Close Encounters (Versatile, 1978)
• Broadway (Muse, 1980; reissue: 32 Jazz, 1998) – with Houston Person
• Swedish Lullaby (Sison, 1984)
• Blues All Day Long (Muse, 1988; reissue: 32 Jazz, 1999) – with Cecil Bridgewater, Houston Person, Jimmy Ponder
• African Encounter (Muse, 1988)
• Hot Tat (Muse, 1989 [rel. 1991]) – with Cecil Bridgewater, Houston Person, Jimmy Ponder

LP/CD compilations

• Richard "Groove" Holmes: Jazz Milestone Series (Pacific Jazz, 1966) (compilation of Pacific Jazz material)
• The Best of Richard "Groove" Holmes (Prestige, 1969) (compilation of Prestige material)
• The Best of Richard "Groove" Holmes: For Beautiful People (Prestige, 1970) (another compilation of Prestige material)
• Hunk–a–Funk (Groove Merchant, 1975) (compilation of Night Glider + New Groove)
• Supa Cookin' (Groove Merchant, 1975) – with Jimmy McGriff (compilation of Giants of the Organ Come Together + Giants of the Organ in Concert)
• Groovin' With Groove (LRC [Lester Radio Corporation], 1994) (compilation of Groove Merchant albums: American Pie, Night Glider, New Groove)
• Blue Groove (Prestige, 1994) (compilation of Get Up & Get It! + Soul Mist!)
• After Hours (Pacific Jazz, 1996) (compilation of After Hours + Tell It Like It Is)
• Legends of Acid Jazz: Richard "Groove" Holmes (Prestige, 1997) (compilation of The Groover! + That Healin' Feelin')
• Groove's Groove (32 Jazz, 1998) (compilation of Muse albums: Shippin' Out, Good Vibrations, Broadway, Blues All Day Long)
• Legends of Acid Jazz: Richard "Groove" Holmes – Spicy (Prestige, 1999) (compilation of Living Soul + Spicy!)
• The Best of the Pacific Jazz Years (Pacific Jazz/EMI, 2001) (compilation of Pacific Jazz material)
• Timeless: Richard "Groove" Holmes (Savoy Jazz/Denon, 2003) (compilation of Muse material)
• Super Soul (Prestige, 2004) (compilation of Soul Power! + Super Soul)

As sideman

With Earl Bostic

• Jazz As I Feel It (King, 1963; reissued as Complete Quintet Recordings on Lone Hill Jazz in 2006) – with Joe Pass
• A New Sound (King, 1964; reissued as Complete Quintet Recordings on Lone Hill Jazz in 2006) – with Joe Pass

With Bumble Bee Slim

• Back in Town (Pacific Jazz, 1962)

With Willis Jackson

• In Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1980 [also released as Ya Understand Me?] (Disques Black And Blue, 1980; Muse, 1984; reissued as Live On Stage (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions) on Black & Blue in 2003 with 3 bonus tracks)

With Eric Kloss

• Love and All That Jazz (Prestige, 1966)

With Les McCann

• Les McCann Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1961)

With Lou Rawls

• Black and Blue (Capitol, 1963)

With Dakota Staton

• Madame Foo-Foo (Groove Merchant, 1972)

With Gerald Wilson

• You Better Believe It! (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
• Eternal Equinox (Pacific Jazz, 1969)

References

External links

• Richard "Groove" Holmes
• Richard "Groove" Holmes discography at Jazzlists