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by Rick Holland
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 With long, blues-drenched melodic lines, and a warm, horn-like sound,
guitarist and composer Bob DeVos has his own signature style. Critics
universally cite Mr. DeVos' "full, liquid tone" and "soulful,
intelligent interpretations". Hailed as "the thinking man's guitar
hero" and "a brilliant, knowing bebop player", Bob's CDs as a leader
for Savant/HighNote and Blues Leaf Records have earned high praise and
many stars in Downbeat and throughout the jazz media.
A musically mature and versatile guitarist, composer, and arranger, Bob
is a modern player with strong traditional roots. He is equally at home
with straight-ahead jazz, Rhythm & Blues, funk, jazz-fusion and
more.
Formative Jazz Experience
Bob started in jazz as a student of Harry Leahy and the legendary
Dennis Sandole. In 1970, when Sandole sent his leading students out to
audition for the brilliant organist Trudy Pitts, Bob was chosen to step
in for Pat Martino. Bob went on to be the guitarist for groups led by
Richard "Groove" Holmes, featuring saxophone legend Sonny Stitt, and
Jimmy McGriff and Hank Crawford. He later toured and recorded
extensively with organist Charles "The Mighty Burner" Earland’s group
that included Eric Alexander and Jim Rotondi. He further developed his
compositional and harmonic skills playing with many jazz greats outside
the organ trio genre.
Performances
As a member of the Jimmy McGriff-Hank Crawford Quartet, Mr. DeVos
appeared in the PBS-TV video Live From Elario’s, aired nationwide on
PBS’s Club Date series. He toured as a member of saxophonist Gerry
Niewood’s group Timepiece with Grammy winner Dave Samuels. As a member
of composer's Teo Macero’s Nonet, Bob recorded and performed with
Pepper Adams, Dave Leibman, and Dick Oatts. He has also performed
and/or recorded with Eric Alexander, Harry Allen, Freddy Cole, Junior
Cook, Joey DeFrancesco, Kenny Drew, Jr., Bill Doggett, Billy Drummond,
Joe Farnsworth, Larry Goldings, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Billy Hart,
"Screaming" Jay Hawkins, David Hazeltine, Etta Jones, Gladys Knight,
Mike LeDonne, Gene Ludwig, Pat Martino, Jack MacDuff, Ron McClure,
Hendrik Meurkens, David "Fathead" Newman, Adam Nussbaum, Houston
Person, Irene Reid, Rufus Reid, Mike Richmond, Jim Rontondi, Bob
Sheppard, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine, Dave
Valentin, Ray Vega, Kenny Washington, Jerry Weldon, Buddy Williams, and
many, many others.
Current Work
Bob's most recent CD Shifting Sands (HighNote/Savant, November 2006)
has been on the national airplay charts for many months, and is
included on many Top CDs Lists for 2006. The CD features many of Bob's
tunes. Playing on the CD are Eric Alexander as guest tenor player, Dan
Kostelnik on Hammond B3 Organ, Steve Johns on drums and Gary Fritz
lending percussion to two tracks. Bob leads his own Bob DeVos Organ
Trio with Dan Kostelnik on Hammond B-3 organ and Steve Johns on drums.
Bob is also a member of the forward-thinking Ron McClure Quartet, and
is with the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra under the leadership of
Bill Warfield. He collaborates frequently with Hendrik Meurkens, Onaje
Allan Gumbs, and in trio with Billy Drummond and Mike McGuirk.
In recent years, Bob has performed at the Kennedy Center, The Kimmel
Center, The NJ State Theatre, The Blue Note, Iridium, The Jazz Bakery,
SMOKE, Sweet Basil, Birdland, Zanzibar Blue, The Kimmel Center and
numerous festivals in the US and worldwide, including the JVC Jazz
Festivals in New York City and Miami Beach, and the San Francisco Jazz
Festival. An in-demand player, he is heard frequently on jazz stations
nationwide.
Mr. DeVos is on the Lehigh University music faculty and teaches
privately. An innovative and sensitive teacher, he has conducted many
jazz clinics nationwide and was on the jazz faculty at William Paterson
University. He is a past Artist-in-Residence at Arts High School.
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Rick Holland |
| About the author: |
| A versatile musician and veteran performer in organizations such as the Louie Bellson Big Band (Chicago Based Band), Jimmy Dorsey, Mike Pendowski, Rob Parton , Buddy De Franco, Buselli-Wallrab and Terry Gibbs Bands, Rick Holland brings a wealth of experience and musicality to each performance. |
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