- Melvin Rhyne
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Melvin Rhyne Born Indianapolis, United States Genres Jazz, Hard bop Occupations Organist, Bandleader, Composer Instruments Organ Years active 1955-current Associated acts Wes Montgomery,
Rob Dixon, Herb Ellis,
Brian LynchMelvin Rhyne (b.October 12, 1936, Indianapolis, Indiana), is a jazz organist best known for his work with Wes Montgomery.[1]
Contents
Early Years
Melvin Rhyne was born in Indianapolis in 1936 and started playing the piano shortly thereafter. At 19 years old, Rhyne started playing piano with then-unknown tenor saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk but quickly switched over to the instrument that would make him famous: the Hammond B3 organ. Rhyne's piano skills translated to the organ fluently and before long he was backing famous blues players like B.B. King and T-Bone Walker.[2]
The Montgomery Years
Melvin's big break, however, came in 1959 when he was asked to join fellow Indianapolis jazz musician Wes Montgomery's newly formed trio. Rhyne played with Montgomery for five years and cut four records with the trio: Guitar on the Go, Round Midnight, Boss Guitar, and Portrait of Wes.[3]
After the Montgomery years, Rhyne moved to Wisconsin and largely kept to himself for the next two decades.[4]
Return to Jazz
In 1991, however, Rhyne returned to the jazz scene in full force, playing on Herb Ellis' album Roll Call, Brian Lynch's At the Main Event, and his own comeback The Legend. Rhyne continued to be prolific in the years to come, releasing eight more solo albums on the Criss Cross jazz label.[5]
In 2008 Rhyne teamed up with fellow Indianapolis jazz musician Rob Dixon to form the Dixon-Rhyne Project, a boundary-pushing jazz quartet that also includes Chicago guitarist Fareed Haque and drummer Kenny Phelps. The quartet released the album Reinvention in 2008 on Indianapolis jazz label Owl Studios.[6]
Today, Rhyne continues to perform live with the Melvin Rhyne Trio, which is the group behind his albums The Legend, Mel's Spell, Kojo, and Tomorrow Yesterday Today. The trio includes drummer Kenny Washington and guitarist Peter Bernstein in the same organ, guitar, drum formation of the original Wes Montgomery Trio.[7]
Discography
Year Artist Title Label 1959 The Wes Montgomery Trio Guitar on the Go Riverside 1959 The Wes Montgomery Trio Round Midnight Riverside 1960 Melvin Rhyne Organ-izing Jazzland 1963 The Wes Montgomery Trio Boss Guitar Riverside 1963 The Wes Montgomery Trio Portrait of Wes Riverside 1969 Johnny Shacklett At The Hofman House Universal Artists 1991 Herb Ellis Roll Call Justice Records 1991 Brian Lynch Quintet At The Main Event Criss Cross 1991 Melvin Rhyne Trio The Legend Criss Cross 1992 Mark Ladley Strictly Business Altenburgh Records 1992 Melvin Rhyne To Cannonball with Love Paddle Wheel Records 1993 Ronald Muldrow Yesterdays Enja Records 1993 Mark Ladley Evidence Altenburgh Records 1993 Melvin Rhyne Quartet Boss Organ Criss Cross 1993 The Tenor Triangle with The Melvin Rhyne Trio Tell it Like it Is Criss Cross 1994 The Tenor Triangle with The Melvin Rhyne Trio Aztec Blues Criss Cross 1995 Melvin Rhyne Trio Mel's Spell Criss Cross 1995 Melvin Rhyne Quartet Stick to the Kick Criss Cross 1999 Melvin Rhyne Trio Kojo Criss Cross 2000 Melvin Rhyne Quartet Classmasters Criss Cross 2004 Melvin Rhyne Trio Tomorrow Yesterday Today Criss Cross 2007 Melvin Rhyne Front & Center Criss Cross 2008 The Dixon-Rhyne Project Reinvention Owl Studios References
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Melvin Rhyne: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p7414. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/melvin-rhyne-p7414/biography
- ^ http://www.bing.com/music/overview/search?q=Melvin+Rhyne&artistID=F61C0000-0600-11DB-89CA-0019B92A3933
- ^ http://indyjazzfest.net/blog/2010/04/27/jazz-appreciation-month-melvin-rhyne
- ^ http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2010/12/mel-rhyne-hammond-b-3-organist.html
- ^ http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29697
- ^ http://www.crisscrossjazz.com/artist/RhyneMelvin.html
Categories:- 1936 births
- Living people
- Hard bop organists
- American jazz organists
- People from Indianapolis, Indiana
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