Jimbo Ross - Beyond The Groove

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Jazz comes alive with a fresh, distinctive voice on this new album from acclaimed viola/violinist Jimbo Ross. Joined by guitarist Joe Gaeta, pianist Stuart Elster, bassist Peter Marshall, and drummer Ron Wagner, Ross brings his unique sound and dynamic improvisational style to a collection of classic jazz standards and swinging favorites.

Featuring timeless compositions by Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and others, the album moves effortlessly from the driving bebop energy of “Groovin’ High,” “A Night in Tunisia,” and “Nica’s Dream” to the sophisticated grooves of “Solar,” “Gloria’s Step,” “Whisper Not,” and “Nutville.”

With its combination of electric strings, soulful piano, guitar, bass, and drums, this is a vibrant celebration of straight-ahead jazz—honoring the tradition while giving it a fresh and highly personal sound through Jimbo Ross’s remarkable 5-string electric viola.
 

JIMBO ROSS - 5 String Electric Viola/Violin
JOE GAETA - Guitar
STUART ELSTER - Piano
PETER MARSHALL - Upright Bass
RON WAGNER - Drums

Recorded Live at The Sonic Boom Room, Venice, CA 03/2026
Engineered & Mixed by Kevin Jarvis
Mastered by Dave & Candi at D2 Mastering
Produced by Jimbo Ross
All Arrangements by Jimbo Ross & Joe Gaeta
Album Art Design & Cover Photo by 
Rich Sumner @ Surfware Media

SPECIAL THANKS:
NIKA ROSS my Muse
Brandon MacDougal @ Liquid Violins
Henriksen Amplifiers

This Album is Dedicated to The Jazz Baroness Pannonica “NICA” Koenigswater
and all other Mentors of Jazz Musicians.

1. GROOVIN’ HIGH (6:38)
2. IN WALKED BUD  (4:46)
3. A NIGHT IN TUNISIA (7:04)
4. PERI’S SCOPE (6:14)
5. AFTERNOON IN PARIS (4:23)
6. NICA’S DREAM (7:53)
7. JUICY LUCY (4:28)
8. BA-LUE BOLIVAR BA-LUES ARE (4:51)
9. WHISPER NOT (4:47)
10. I MEAN YOU (6:15)
11. GLORIA’S STEP (5:55)
12. SOLAR (5:43)
13. NUTVILLE (5:18)
 

Beyond The Groove Review
(Holly Cooper/Mouthpiece Music)

BEYOND THE GROOVE - REVIEW:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cheerful Jazz Classics
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2026

James "Jimbo" Ross is a recording session and touring musician whose credits over the decades are extraordinary. He worked with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Earth, Wind & Fire, Elton John, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Horace Silver. Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Johnny Mathis, The Moody Blues, Roy Orbison, and Elton John! Among others. He is also a band leader, and this is his third album. Jimbo's instrument is unusual — the electric, i.e., amplified, viola and lately a viola-violin hybrid, thanks to the addition of an E string to provide the upper registers. This album focuses on 13 straight ahead jazz renditions of classic pieces from the pantheon of hard bop and post bop. His Southern California quintet includes electric jazz guitarist Joe Gaeta, pianist Stuart Elster, acoustic bassist Peter Marshall, and drummer Ron Wagner, all with similar session and album credits. With so much experience, the group performs the arrangements by Jimbo and Joe with aplomb. Indeed, the tight, sparkling interactions are accompanied with their obvious enjoyment. The tracks are uptempo, bright, and rousing.

The album begins with Dizzy Gillesie's Grooving High. After the call-response theme, Jimbo stretches out, setting a high bar met in turn by improvisations of piano and guitar. Thelonious Monk's In Walked Bud is a fitting follow-up with an exciting propulsive deep groove and instrumental layering. Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia becomes a powerful epic. Jimbo uses the entire range of his instrument; Gaeta increases the momentum; and Elster adds drama. Peri's Scope is an early (1959) lesser known composition of Bill Evans. It has his expected lyricism, but it is strongly rhythmic. John Lewis is represented by Afternoon in Paris from 1949. The sweet amble shifts into a cheerful trot. Horace Silver's Nica's Dream is in reference of Pannonica de Koenigswarter, the jazz patron and Muse. The affectionate honor is marked with various sections of solos from a meditative dance to a Latin-flavored pulse to a blazing conclusion. Juicy Lucy, another Silver piece, cools down to a bouncy sashay. Monk returns with Ba-lue Bolivaar Ba-lues Are that affords a rhythmic challenge to the group that takes advantage of string slides, piano percussion, and an expansive guitar work. Benny Golson's Whisper Not, a Jimbo vehicle, leads to the third Monk piece, I Mean You, which the band conveys with wit and charm. Next is Gloria's Step by Scott LaFaro, Evan's bassist; the tempo shifts downward to a more meandering contemplative dance. Solar from Miles Davis stokes the fire yet again, and the album comes to rest with Silver's Nutville. Beyond the Groove is liveliness and delight....and smiles.

AMAZON MUSIC

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BEYOND THE GROOVE - REVIEW:
Bebop Spoken Here (UK) by Lance Liddle

 

“Ross is surely the world's greatest 5-string jazz viola player. Thirteen tracks by the best in the bebop business - Monk, Silver, Dizzy, Evans, Lewis, Miles, Golson. I can't recommend this highly enough. Listen to just one track - any one track and you'll be convinced. Boppers of the world unite.”

https://lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.com/2026/09/album-review-jimbo-ross-beyond-groove.html#more

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Album review: Jimbo Ross - Beyond the Groove. (Bodacious Records)

Jimbo Ross (5-string viola); Stuart Elster (piano); Joe Gaeta (guitar); Peter Marshall (bass); Ron Wagner (drums)

Ross is surely the world's greatest 5-string jazz viola player. That he may be the only 5-string jazz viola player doesn't detract from his ability to swing the oft maligned instrument. Those who rank the viola alongside the banjo, oboe and accordion obviously hadn't heard Jimbo. He gets a mellow sound that doesn't grate like violins sometimes do. The extra string means he can stray into violin territory should he wish to do so. Perhaps if children began learning on a suitably sized viola rather than a violin the parents would be more tolerant towards their early strivings. Just a thought.

With his four associates reading from the same hymn sheet, the quintet takes a modern look at some bop and post bop classics. It doesn't sound dated nor pretentious - not in the slightest. These are musicians playing instruments, not twiddling knobs or dancing on pedal boards crammed with distortion units. The way it was then so it is now!

Thirteen tracks by the best in the bebop business - Monk, Silver (3); Dizzy, Evans (2); Lewis, Miles, Golson (1). I can't recommend this highly enough. Listen to just one track - any one track and you'll be convinced. Boppers of the world unite. Lance

Groovin' High; In Walked Bud; A Night in Tunisia; Peri's Scope; Afternoon in Paris; Nica's Dream; Juicy Lucy; Ba-Lue Bolivia Ba-lues-Are; Whisper Not; I Mean You; Gloria's Step; Solar; Nutville 

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