Search - Bob Devos :: Playing for Keeps

A Terrific Jazz and Organ Jazz CD--great arrangements and pl

Jazz Cat | Miami, FL, United States | 12/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two Thumbs Way Up for this superlative CD! All the musicians are terrific and play great as a unit. Each of the wideranging tracks stands strong on its own, taken together the tracks show the breadth of guitarist DeVos's compositional and arranging skills--boy is he one hip musician. There is a great blues vibe throughout as to be expected from DeVos, who has played with all the organ greats but the band takes on & scores big on modern jazz tunes you don't hear from most organ groups like an incredibly cool "Freedom Jazz Dance" and McCoy Tyner's "Blues On the Corner" and Coltane's "Naima." DeVos's originals have a great groove, especially on "Pause for Fred's Claws" and the uptempo opener, "And So It Goes." After a few listens, you hear how much more tone DeVos gets out of the guitar than most anyone, and his impeccable technique. This one is for everyone--guitarists, jazz fans of many stripes. And listen to it from start to finish, DeVos has clearly given a lot of thought to how the tunes work with one another to create an overall experience as good as hearing any favorite classic jazz album."