Jimmy Ponder
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Ponder is an American jazz
guitarist.
Ponder started playing guitar at age 14, and was heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery
and Kenny Burrell
. He began playing with Charles Earland
at 17, and in the following years played with Lou Donaldson
, Houston Person
, Donald Byrd
, Stanley Turrentine
, and Jimmy McGriff
. He moved to Philadelphia and later New York City
in the 1970s, and recorded extensively as a leader for a number of jazz labels. Since the late 1980's Jimmy has frequently returned to his hometown to perform with his popular trio
alongside two of Pittsburgh's other Jazz greats; Roger Humphries
and Gene Ludwig
. Ponder's most commercially successful releases were his 1978 Muse Records
set All Things Beautiful (U.S. Billboard Jazz Albums #38) and 2000's Ain't Misbehavin' , for HighNote (U.S. Jazz #16).
With Andrew Hill
With John Patton
With Stanley Turrentine
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist.
Ponder started playing guitar at age 14, and was heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
and Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
Kenneth Earl "Kenny" Burrell is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is grounded in bebop and blues; he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.-Biography:...
. He began playing with Charles Earland
Charles Earland
Charles Earland was an American jazz composer, organist, and saxophonist in the soul jazz idiom.-Biography:...
at 17, and in the following years played with Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson
Lou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
, Houston Person
Houston Person
Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. Person is also known for his distinctive sassy sound and his expressive style of playing...
, Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
, Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
, and Jimmy McGriff
Jimmy McGriff
James Harrell McGriff was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who developed a distinctive style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ.-Early years and influences:...
. He moved to Philadelphia and later New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the 1970s, and recorded extensively as a leader for a number of jazz labels. Since the late 1980's Jimmy has frequently returned to his hometown to perform with his popular trio
Jazz trio
The term "piano trio" in jazz usually refers to a group comprising a pianist, a double bass player and a drummer. The pianist is usually considered the leader of these trios, and trios are usually named after their pianist...
alongside two of Pittsburgh's other Jazz greats; Roger Humphries
Roger Humphries
Roger Humphries is an American jazz drummer.Born into a family of ten children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Humphries began playing drums at age four, and went professional at age 14. He led an ensemble at Carnegie Hall at age 16...
and Gene Ludwig
Gene Ludwig
Gene Ludwig was an American jazz and rhythm and blues organist, who recorded as a leader as well as a sideman for Sonny Stitt, Arthur Prysock, Scott Hamilton, Bob DeVos, and Leslie West, and others...
. Ponder's most commercially successful releases were his 1978 Muse Records
Muse Records
Muse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
set All Things Beautiful (U.S. Billboard Jazz Albums #38) and 2000's Ain't Misbehavin
As leader
- Soul Crib (Choice Records, 1969) with Charles EarlandCharles EarlandCharles Earland was an American jazz composer, organist, and saxophonist in the soul jazz idiom.-Biography:...
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Cadet RecordsCadet RecordsCadet Records was started as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK...
, 1973) - Illusions (Impulse! RecordsImpulse! RecordsImpulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
, 1976) - White Room (Impulse, 1978)
- All Things Beautiful (LRC, 1978)
- So Many Stars (Milestone RecordsMilestone RecordsMilestone Records is a United States based jazz record label, founded in 1966 by Orrin Keepnews and Dick Katz in New York City. The company was incorporated into Fantasy Records in 1972, since then it has been used for reissues as well as for new recordings....
, 1983) - Mean Streets:No Bridges (Muse RecordsMuse RecordsMuse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
, 1987) - Jump (Muse, 1988)
- Come On Down (Muse, 1990)
- Soul Eyes (Muse, 1991)
- To Reach a Dream (Muse, 1991)
- Something to Ponder (Muse, 1994)
- James Street (HighNote RecordsHighNote RecordsHighNote Records is an American record label based in New York City, specializing in jazz music.HighNote was founded by Joe Fields, who worked for Prestige Records as an executive in the 1960s and founded Muse Records in the 1970s. He co-founded HighNote and its sister label, Savant Records, in...
, 1997) - Steel City Soul (32 Jazz32 Jazz-Discography:...
, 1998) - Guitar Christmas (HighNote, 1998)
- Ain't Misbehavin
' (HighNote, 2000) - Thumbs Up (HighNote, 2001)
- Alone (HighNote, 2003)
- What's New (HighNote, 2005)
- Live at the Other End (Explore Records, 2007)
- Sonnenbank Flavor (LRC, 2007)
As sideman
With Donald ByrdDonald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
- Fancy FreeFancy Free (Donald Byrd album)Fancy Free is an album by the American jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, that was released on Blue Note records in 1970.The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awards this album with 3 stars and states: "Recorded just a few months after Miles Davis' In a Silent Way, Fancy Free finds Byrd leading a large...
, (1970)
With Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill
Andrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important innovators of jazz piano in the 1960s...
- Grass Roots (1968 [2000])
With John Patton
John Patton (musician)
John Patton , sometimes nicknamed Big John Patton, was a hard bop and soul jazz organist....
- That Certain FeelingThat Certain Feeling (album)That Certain Feeling is an album by American organist John Patton recorded in 1968 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 3½ stars and stated "there are moments when everything comes together and it just cooks...
(1968)
With Stanley Turrentine
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family...
- Common TouchCommon TouchCommon Touch is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine featuring Shirley Scott recorded for the Blue Note label in 1968 and performed by Turrentine with Shirley Scott, Jimmy Ponder, Bob Cranshaw and Leo Morris.-Reception:...
(1968)