Jimmy Ponder • Thumbs Up

Pittsburgh-based guitarist Jimmy Ponder strums with his right-hand thumb, a somewhat unorthodox way of approaching the guitar even though it did anything but hold up the late great Wes Montgomery. The bottom line, however, is that it’s not so much about how a musician plays, but what he plays. And here, in the presence of bassist Dave Pellow and drummer Cecil Brooks III, Ponder amply demonstrates what he can do musically on Thumbs Up, his first-ever trio recording.

On funky tunes like the title track and “Centerpiece,” Ponder grooves hard and gets down with an organic combination of stinging blues licks and satisfyingly sleek, soulful phrases. But he also can make his instrument speak eloquently. His knack for spinning out beautifully shaped melodic lines is evidenced by the sensitive work on the ballads “Body and Soul,” which finds Ponder spontaneously interjecting hip chords throughout, and “Angel Eyes,” with its healthy serving of tasty octaves. Other highlights include “Watch What Happens” and “Funk Wit Dis.”

And while it’s anybody’s guess as to why Ponder isn’t better known, rest assured that the reason doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of his playing, which is top flight from start to finish.

https://jazztimes.com/archives/jimmy-ponder-thumbs-up/

An excellent guitarist, and sometimes vocalist, with a soulful sound and the ability to uplift any funky jazz date, Pittsburgh native Jimmy Ponder has appeared on many recordings during his long career, over 80 as a sideman and 15 as a leader. Ponder, a self taught musician, began playing guitar when he was 14 and considers Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell to be his two main early influences and Thornel Schwartz later on. After hearing Montgomery, he would abandon the use of a pick and, like his mentor, play with his thumb. Offered a job with Charles Earland after having only played guitar three years, Ponder waited until he graduated from high school and then spent three years with the organist's group, recording several dates with Earland. He worked and recording with Lou Donaldson, Houston Person, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine and Jimmy McGriff and in the early 1970's moved to New York (from Philadelphia), leading his own groups. Ponder has since recorded as a leader in the 1970's for Cadet, ABC/Impulse, TK, CBS and Toshiba, in the 80's for Milestone and in the 90's for Muse and his current label HighNote. Ponder currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/jimmyponder

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El guitarrista Jimmy Ponder, radicado en Pittsburgh, toca la guitarra con su pulgar derecho, una forma poco ortodoxa de acercarse a la guitarra, aunque no hizo más que sostener al gran Wes Montgomery. La conclusión, sin embargo, es que no se trata tanto de cómo toca un músico, sino de lo que toca. Y aquí, en presencia del bajista Dave Pellow y del baterista Cecil Brooks III, Ponder demuestra ampliamente lo que puede hacer musicalmente en Thumbs Up, su primera grabación en trío.

En melodías funky como la canción del título y "Centerpiece", Ponder se mueve con fuerza y se pone a trabajar con una combinación orgánica de blues punzante y frases agradablemente elegantes y conmovedoras. Pero también puede hacer que su instrumento hable elocuentemente. Su habilidad para hacer girar líneas melódicas de bella forma se evidencia en el delicado trabajo de las baladas "Body and Soul" (Cuerpo y alma), que encuentra a Ponder interponiendo espontáneamente acordes de cadera por todas partes, y "Angel Eyes" (Ojos de ángel), con su saludable porción de sabrosas octavas. Otros puntos destacados son "Watch What Happens" y "Funk Wit Dispens".

Y aunque nadie sabe por qué Ponder no es más conocido, ten por seguro que la razón no tiene nada que ver con la calidad de su juego, que es la primera división de principio a fin.

https://jazztimes.com/archives/jimmy-ponder-thumbs-up/

Un excelente guitarrista, y a veces vocalista, con un sonido conmovedor y la capacidad de elevar cualquier fecha de jazz funky, Jimmy Ponder, nativo de Pittsburgh, ha aparecido en muchas grabaciones durante su larga carrera, más de 80 como sideman y 15 como líder. Ponder, un músico autodidacta, comenzó a tocar la guitarra cuando tenía 14 años y considera que Wes Montgomery y Kenny Burrell fueron sus dos primeras influencias principales y Thornel Schwartz más tarde. Después de escuchar a Montgomery, abandonaba el uso de una púa y, como su mentor, jugaba con su pulgar. Ofreció un trabajo con Charles Earland después de sólo haber tocado la guitarra durante tres años, Ponder esperó hasta graduarse de la escuela secundaria y luego pasó tres años con el grupo del organista, grabando varias citas con Earland. Trabajó y grabó con Lou Donaldson, Houston Person, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine y Jimmy McGriff y a principios de la década de 1970 se mudó a Nueva York (desde Filadelfia), dirigiendo sus propios grupos. Desde entonces, Ponder ha grabado como líder en los años 70 para Cadet, ABC/Impulse, TK, CBS y Toshiba, en los años 80 para Milestone y en los 90 para Muse y su sello actual HighNote. Ponder reside actualmente en Pittsburgh, PA.

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/jimmyponder

Tracklist:
1 - Thumbs Up - 4:26
2 - Watch What Happens - 3:57
3 - Centerpiece - 5:05
4 - Body And Soul - 8:30
5 - Love For Sale - 7:02
6 - Angel Eyes - 8:39
7 - Alone Together - 7:39
8 - Funk Wit Dis - 5:15


Credits:
JIMMY PONDER - guitar
DAVE PELLOW - bass
CECIL BROOKS III - drums

Label: HighNote Records, Inc. ‎– HCD 7080
Released: 2001
Duration: 50:53
Genre:Jazz
Styles:
Hard Bop
Soul Jazz
Guitar Jazz
Jazz Instrument




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