Jimmy Ponder
Jimmy Ponder | |
---|---|
Birth name | James Willis Ponder |
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | May 10, 1946
Died |
September 16, 2013 Pittsburgh |
Genres | Jazz, soul jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Guitar |
Years active | 1960s–2013 |
Labels | Cadet, Impulse!, Milestone, Muse, HighNote |
Associated acts | Charles Earland |
Jimmy Ponder (born May 10, 1946 - died September 16, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an American jazz guitarist.[1]
Ponder started playing guitar at age 14. He was influenced most by Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell.[2] He began playing with Charles Earland at 17, and in the following years 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 1980s, he frequently returned to his hometown to perform with his trio of two other Pittsburgh musicians, Roger Humphries and Gene Ludwig.
Ponder's most commercially successful albums were All Things Beautiful (Muse, 1978) which reached No. 38 on the Billboard jazz album chart; Ain't Misbehavin' (HighNote, 2000), which reached No. 16; and Somebody's Child (HighNote, 2007), which reached No. 3 on the Jazzweek chart.[2]
Discography
As leader
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Cadet, 1973)
- Illusions (Impulse!, 1976)
- White Room (Impulse, 1977)
- All Things Beautiful (LRC, 1978)
- Seven Minds (America, 1979) (released in France only)
- Ponder'n (51 West, 1981)
- Down Here On the Ground (Milestone, 1984)
- So Many Stars (Milestone, 1985)
- Mean Streets – No Bridges (Muse, 1987)
- Jump (Muse, 1988)
- Come On Down (Muse, 1990)
- To Reach a Dream (Muse, 1991) rec. 1988–1989
- Jimmy Ponder: Sonny Lester Collection (LRC, 1991) compilation
- Soul Eyes (Muse, 1995) rec. 1991
- Something to Ponder (Muse, 1996) rec. 1994
- James Street (HighNote, 1997)
- Steel City Soul (32 Jazz, 1998) compilation
- Guitar Christmas (HighNote, 1998)
- Ain't Misbehavin' (HighNote, 2000) rec. 1998
- Thumbs Up (HighNote, 2001)
- Alone (HighNote, 2003) rec. 2000
- What's New (HighNote, 2005) rec. 2002
- Somebody's Child (HighNote, 2007)
- Live at the Other End (Explore, 2007) rec. 1982
As sideman
With Rusty Bryant
With Donald Byrd
- Fancy Free, (Blue Note, 1970)
With Lou Donaldson
- Mr. Shing-A-Ling (Blue Note, 1967)
- Say It Loud! (Blue Note, 1968)
With Charles Earland
- Boss Organ (Choice, 1966)
- Soul Crib (Choice, 1969)
With Andrew Hill
- Grass Roots (Blue Note, 1968) released 2000
- Blues All Day Long (Muse, 1988)
- Hot Tat (Muse, 1989 [rel. 1991])
With Johnny Hodges
- Rippin' & Runnin' (Verve, 1968)
With Willis Jackson
- In the Alley (Muse, 1976)
With Clifford Jordan
- Inward Fire (Muse, 1978)
With Jack McDuff
- The Fourth Dimension (Cadet, 1974)
With Jimmy McGriff
- The Main Squeeze (Groove Merchant, 1974)
- Stump Juice (Groove Merchant, 1975)
With John Patton
- That Certain Feeling (Blue Note, 1968)
With Houston Person
- Stolen Sweets (Muse, 1976)
- Wild Flower (Muse, 1977)
With Sonny Phillips
- My Black Flower (Muse, 1976)
With Shirley Scott
- Superstition (Cadet, 1973)
With Mickey Tucker
- Triplicity (Xanadu, 1975)
With Stanley Turrentine
- Common Touch (Blue Note, 1968) with Shirley Scott
References
- ↑ Nowlin, Rick (19 September 2013). "Obituary: Jimmy Ponder / One of Pittsburgh's great jazz musicians". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- 1 2 Yanow, Scott. "Jimmy Ponder | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.