Richard Holmes (organist)
| Richard "Groove" Holmes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Arnold Holmes |
| Born |
May 2, 1931 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 29, 1991 (aged 60) Saint Louis, Missouri |
| Genres | Jazz, soul |
| Occupations | Musician, composer, arranger |
| Instruments | Organ |
| Years active | 1961–1991 |
| Labels | Pacific Jazz, Prestige, World Pacific, Groove Merchant, Flying Dutchman, Muse |
Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 in Camden, New Jersey – June 29, 1991 in St. Louis, Missouri) 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.
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.
With Earl Bostic
With Willis Jackson
With Eric Kloss
With Les McCann
With Lou Rawls
With Dakota Staton
With Gerald Wilson
...
Wikipedia