Richard "Groove" Holmes
Richard "Groove" Holmes (1931–1991, dates pending a dedicated source), American soul-jazz organist — the man who converted Jimmy McGriff to the organ and one of the sixties' most-recorded Hammond players.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-jimmy-mcgriff.md]
Why he matters
- Played at his sister's wedding and entranced young Jimmy McGriff with the organ sound; became McGriff's teacher and friend — the two recorded together on two occasions in 1973 for Groove Merchant.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-jimmy-mcgriff.md]
- Named by Hammond Organ Co.'s history in the swinging-Sixties soul-jazz legion that swung behind Jimmy Smith as Top Cat.^[raw/articles/hammondorganco-hammond-story.md]
- Listed among the "Jimmy Smith disciples" in the Vinyldiscovery soul-jazz survey, alongside Jack McDuff and Don Patterson.^[raw/articles/vinyldiscovery-organ-jazz-soul-jazz.md]
- Groove Merchant kept him recording late in his career — GM 4402 Hunk–a–Funk compiles his Night Glider and New Groove albums.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-groove-merchant.md]
- His later records (On Basie's Bandstand) remain Bandcamp staples of the revival scene.^[raw/articles/bandcampdaily-parlor-greens-emeralds.md]
Related
- jimmy-mcgriff — his most famous pupil
- groove-merchant — his late-career label home
- jack-mcduff — fellow soul-jazz organ legionnaire