DOROTHY ASHBY & FRANK WESS - In A Minor Groove DOROTHY ASHBY & FRANK WESS

LP - Limited Edition Clear Vinyl

Dorothy Ashby was probably the greatest—and certainly the most swinging—jazz harpist of all time, re-purposing an instrument best known for ethereal glissandos into a fully versatile voice in combo settings, capable of providing both instrumental embroidery and rhythmic drive.

However, it is that very uniqueness—her sound and her place in the jazz world. In a Minor Groove is one of two albums she recorded in 1958 with flautist/saxophonist Frank Wess, and it is a marvel. Backed by fellow Detroit native Herman Wright on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums, Ashby and Wess weave mesmerizing melodic threads through standards like Alone Together and Yesterdays. But perhaps the most astonishing track is Bohemia After Dark, which showcases Ashby’s uncanny ability to turn her harp into a rhythm guitar!