Soul Message

Richard 'Groove' Holmes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000YIE
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,555 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Groove's Groove

2. Daahoud

3. Misty

4. Song for My Father

5. The Things We Did Last Summer

6. Soul Message

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Quintesential Pick ! ! !, March 17, 2001

By 

Eddie Landsberg "My 10th year as a reviewer !... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Soul Message (Audio CD)

I like to describe Groove Holmes as a member of the "third wave" of Jazz organists to emerge during the heyday of the Hammond- - First you had the classic heavy swingers like Wild Bill and Milt, then along came Jimmy and the blues meets bop school including his disciples McDuff, McGriff, JHS, etc... then finally the third wave, in which the improvisational and technical ante was raised significantly. Among these players were Larry Young, Don Patterson, and of course Richard Groove Holmes. Groove's trademark (besides his robust figure), were three things : 1. He could groove hard. (he was afterall left handed !), 2. Long before Joey DeFrancesco he had technical mastery and chops that few of the earlier organists (despite their awesome capabilities had.) 3. He did strange things with his rig to get a unique sound (which we won't get into here.)

This album SOUL MESSAGE shows Groove at his peak. His "double time" funky "charleston beat" version of Misty was actually a major crossover hit - - just as Jimmy Smith's CHICKEN SHACK taught a whole generation of disciples how to approach the B-3, Groove's MISTY did it again - - Groove's Groove brings the whole McDuff thang up to date and is definitely a house rocker (check out Duff's LIVE LP) - - While "Ipanema" can sound cheesy and annoying in the hands of most organists, Groove makes it sound fresh and wicked... Tunes like Dahoud and Song For My Father show his ability to be modern, as well as DOMINATE the instrument. - - Though an incredible trio (Jimmie Smith on drums, Gene Edward guitar) typical to any Groove CD is his ability to carry practically the entire Groove (hence his name...) - - When Groove is smoking, cats... stay out of his way !

If you like Groove's version of MISTY, check out Freddy Roach doin' TENDERLY in a very similar vein - - SOUL MESSAGE however clearly is where the buck stops !

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groovin' Diner, July 5, 2000

By 

J. Hobart (Glendale, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soul Message (Audio CD)

I walked into a Diner in Detroit in '66 and Misty was pumping LOUD through the jukebox, and everybody was Groovin' - Who was this guy? Never heard Misty played this way. I had to get this album. This is my favorite Jazz organ album of all time! IT GROOVES!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my five favorite albums., February 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soul Message (Audio CD)

I bought this one in October of '66. It was my first hard core jazz album.

I'll never get tired of it.

This was Groove's first album for Prestige after a number of years with Pacific Jazz. Everything clicked the day they recorded this one.