This is exactly what the album name implies, a guitar groove and one that you will love! René Thomas truly leads and the rest of the band follows right behind with perfect improvised timing. Great work by “Tootie” Heath as he keeps that groove going in the fast paced tunes. A great rendition of Monk’s “Ruby, my dear” as J.R. Monterose plays his heart out (Like always) and Thomas mixes and matches up in the most complimenting manner. This very rare album “Guitar Groove” radiates a great amount of soul, it will help relax your mind and relieve all your daily tensions. Jazz is great medicine for the mind because it is so pure and real. These master musicians are simply conveying “human” feelings to the listeners but they have the special ability to present it as an art form and by way sound waves, not an easy task to do. For this reason, they are so special, enjoy!
About the album:
European guitarist Rene Thomas made his debut as a leader with this 1960 date for the Jazzland label. Residing in Quebec at the time, Thomas is joined by an American cast of characters on Guitar Groove. In the bass chair is Teddy Kotick, one-time member of the Horace Silver and Bill Evans groups. Tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose joins the quintet, fresh from the dates for his own The Message. Albert “Tootie” Heath, then in between stints with J.J. Johnson and the Jazztet, lends his drum work, and Hod O’Brien fills in the gaps on piano. These are session musicians of the highest order: skilled improvisers who always know……Read More
About René Thomas:
One of the finest European jazz guitarists to emerge during the 1950s, René Thomas appeared on many sessions with Americans during the next few decades. Influenced as one might expect by Django Reinhardt, Thomas was mostly self-taught and by the 1950s he was a greatly in-demand cool-toned guitarist, playing in a style similar to Jimmy Raney’s. In addition to performing with the top European jazz musicians, Thomas worked with Chet Baker (1955), lived in Montreal during 1958-1963, played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Sonny Rollins, was back in Europe by 1963, and during the next few years….Read More
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