Jimmy Ponder (May 10, 1946 – September 16, 2013) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

guitarist.

Career

When Ponder's brother entered the military, he left his guitar, and Ponder picked it up. In his early teens he received lessons from the guitarist in a band for which he sang doo-wop. He was drawn to the jazz guitar he heard on the radio. While playing in a rhythm and blues band, he occasionally inserted a jazz solo. He considered hearing guitarist

Thornel Schwartz Thornel Schwartz Jr., or Thornal Schwartz Jr. (May 29, 1927 in Philadelphia – December 30, 1977 in Philadelphia) was an American jazz guitarist. He played electric guitar on the recordings of many Philadelphia jazz musicians, especially electro ...

an important part of his life, when Schwartz was playing with organist

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Germantown, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

. He was impressed by

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

when he saw Martino in the

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

band. He also cited as influences

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

, and Rene Thomas, though none surpassed the impact of seeing

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

. He learned the guitar solo from "Daily Double" (Quaker Town), the first 45 rpm single released by

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 form ...

. When Earland performed in Pittsburgh, he invited Ponder to sit-in with the band and liked what he heard. Earland promised Ponder he could become a member of the band after he finished high school. Six months after graduating, he was hired by Earland. He began playing with Earland at 17 and in the following years with

Lou Donaldson Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is an American retired jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. 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 ...

Houston Person Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) 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. He received the ...

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

, and Jimmy McGriff. He moved to Philadelphia and later New York City in the 1970s and recorded extensively as a leader. Since the late 1980s, he frequently returned to his hometown to perform with his trio of two other Pittsburgh musicians,

Gene Ludwig Gene Ludwig (September 4, 1937 – July 14, 2010) 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. Ludwig ...

and

Roger Humphries Roger Humphries (born January 30, 1944) 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 ...

. Ponder's highest charting release was ''Somebody's Child'', which reached No. 3 on the ''JazzWeek'' airplay chart in 2007. Ponder died of lung cancer in Pittsburgh at the age of 67 in September 2013.

Discography

As leader

* ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps'' (

Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

, 1974) * ''Illusions'' ( ABC Impulse!, 1976) * ''White Room'' (ABC 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 A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1984) * ''So Many Stars'' (Milestone, 1985) * ''

Mean Streets – No Bridges ''Mean Streets – No Bridges'' is an album by guitarist Jimmy Ponder that was released by Muse in 1987. Reception In his review on AllMusic, Ron Wynn called it "prototype Ponder; soul jazz and blues played with energy and a slick, yet resour ...

'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, 1987) * ''

Jump Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jump or Jumping also may refer to: Places * Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...

'' (Muse, 1989) – recorded in 1988 * '' Come On Down'' (Muse, 1991) – recorded in 1990 * ''

To Reach a Dream ''To Reach a Dream'' is an album by guitarist Jimmy Ponder that was released by Muse in 1991. Track listing All compositions by Jimmy Ponder except where noted # "To Reach a Dream" – 6:27 # "You Are Too Beautiful" ( Richard Rodgers, Loren ...

'' (Muse, 1991) – recorded in 1988–89 * ''Jimmy Ponder: Sonny Lester Collection'' (LRC, 1991) – compilation * ''Soul Eyes'' (Muse, 1995)– recorded in 1991 * ''

Something to Ponder ''Something to Ponder'' is an album by guitarist Jimmy Ponder that was released by Muse in 1996. Track listing All compositions by Jimmy Ponder except where noted # "Johnny's Place" – 4:14 # "Since I Fell for You" (Buddy Johnson) – 12:11 ...

'' (Muse, 1996)– recorded in 1994 * '' James Street'' (

HighNote HighNote Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Joe Fields with his son, Barney Fields, in 1997. Joe Fields worked for Prestige Records in the 1960s, and in the 1970s founded Muse Records. After he sold Muse, he started the Highn ...

, 1997) * ''Steel City Soul'' ( 32 Jazz, 1998) – compilation of Muse material * ''Guitar Christmas'' (HighNote, 1998) * ''Ain't Misbehavin' '' (HighNote, 2000) – recorded in 1998 * ''Thumbs Up'' (HighNote, 2001) * ''Alone'' (HighNote, 2003) – recorded in 2000 * ''What's New'' (HighNote, 2005) – recorded in 2002 * ''Somebody's Child'' (HighNote, 2007) * ''Live at 'The Other End' '' (Explore, 2007) – live recorded in 1982

As sideman

With

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from Rhythm and blues, R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was ...

and

* '' Soul Survivors'' (Milestone, 1986) * '' Steppin' Up'' (Milestone, 1987) * '' On the Blue Side'' (Milestone, 1990) – recorded in 1989 With

* 1967: '' Mr. Shing-A-Ling'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, 1968) * 1968: '' Say It Loud!'' (Blue Note, 1969) With

* ''

Boss Organ ''Boss Organ'' is an album by organist Charlie Earland which was recorded in 1966 and released on the Choice label in 1969.Soul Crib ''Soul Crib'' is an album by organist Charlie Earland which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Choice label. Most of the tracks were reissued on Muse Records in 1977 with three tracks on '' Smokin and three on '' Mama Roots''.

'' (Choice, 1969) * '' Smokin''' (Muse, 1977) * '' Mama Roots'' (Muse, 1977) * '' Infant Eyes'' (Muse, 1978) With

Richard Groove Holmes Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of "Misty (song), Misty". Career Holmes's first album, ...

* ''Blues All Day Long'' (Muse, 1988) * ''Hot Tat'' (Muse, 1991) With

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene A ...

* '' Ms. Jones to You'' (Muse, 1976) * '' My Mother's Eyes'' (Muse, 1977) With

* ''

The Main Squeeze The Main Squeeze is an American funk band from Bloomington, Indiana. History The Main Squeeze formed as a party band at Indiana University in 2010. In 2012, they released their first self-titled LP. Three years later, they released their secon ...

'' ( Groove Merchant, 1974) * ''

Stump Juice ''Stump Juice'' is an album by American jazz organist Jimmy McGriff recorded in 1975 and released on the Groove Merchant label.Tailgunner'' (LRC, 1977) * ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...

'' (JAM, 1981) * ''

Movin' Upside the Blues ''Movin' Upside the Blues'' is an album by organist Jimmy McGriff recorded in 1981 (with one track from late 1980) and released on the Jazz America Marketing (JAM) label.

'' (JAM, 1982) * ''

Skywalk A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclos ...

'' (Milestone, 1984) With

* '' Stolen Sweets'' (Muse, 1976) * ''

Wild Flower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the w ...

'' (Muse, 1977) With others *

Rusty Bryant Royal Gordon "Rusty" Bryant (November 25, 1929 – March 25, 1991) was an American jazz tenor and alto saxophonist. Biography Bryant was born in Huntington, West Virginia, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, becoming a fixture of the local jazz scene ...

, ''

Wild Fire Wildfire is a fire in an area of combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or rural areas. Wildfire or Wild Fire may also refer to: People * "Wildfire", Chippewa name of sculptor Edmonia Lewis (c. 1844–1907) Arts, entertainment, a ...

'' (

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1972) – recorded in 1971 *

, ''

Fancy Free Fancy Free may refer to: Music * Fancy Free (Donald Byrd album), ''Fancy Free'' (Donald Byrd album) (1969) * Fancy Free (Richard Davis album), ''Fancy Free'' (Richard Davis album) (1977) * Fancy Free (The Oak Ridge Boys album), ''Fancy Free'' (Th ...

'' (Blue Note, 1969) * Andrew Hill, ''

Grass Roots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

'' (Blue Note, 1968) *

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

, '' Rippin' & Runnin''' (Verve, 1969) – recorded in 1968 * Willis Jackson, '' In the Alley'' (Muse, 1977) – recorded in 1976 *

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after ...

, '' Inward Fire'' (Muse, 1978) – recorded in 1977 *

, '' The Fourth Dimension'' (Cadet, 1974) * John Patton '' That Certain Feeling'', (Blue Note, 1968) *

Sonny Phillips Sonny Phillips (born December 7, 1936) is an American jazz keyboardist. His primary instrument is electronic organ but he often plays piano. Biography Phillips began playing jazz organ after hearing Jimmy Smith in his twenties. He studied under ...

, ''My Black Flower'' (Muse, 1976) *

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in Phi ...

, ''

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

'' (Cadet, 1973) * Lonnie Smith, '' Mama Wailer'' (Kudu, 1971) * Joe Thomas, ''

Joy of Cookin' ''Joy of Cookin is an album by American jazz flautist Joe Thomas recorded in 1972 and released on the Groove Merchant label.

'' (Groove Merchant, 1972) *

Mickey Tucker Mickey Tucker (born Michael B. Tucker; April 28, 1941) is an American jazz pianist and organist. Biography Tucker was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1941. He grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania before moving back to North Carolina aged 12. When h ...

, ''

Triplicity In astrology, a triplicity is a group of three signs belonging to the same element. Trines Western astrology assumes that each sign of the same triplicity is 120 degrees apart, forming angles to one another called trines, which are each equival ...

'' ( Xanadu, 1976) – recorded in 1975 *

, '' Common Touch'' (Blue Note, 1969) – recorded in 1968 *

Joe Lee Wilson Joe Lee Wilson (December 22, 1935 – July 17, 2011) was an American jazz singer from Bristow, Oklahoma, who lived in Europe since 1977. Biography Part African-American and part Creek people, Creek Native American,John Fordham (jazz critic), ...

, ''Come and See'' (Explore, 2007)

References

External links

Pittsburgh Music History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponder, Jimmy 2013 deaths 1946 births 20th-century American guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists Guitarists from Pennsylvania Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Musicians from Pittsburgh HighNote Records artists Impulse! Records artists Milestone Records artists Muse Records artists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians