JIMBO ROSS, Beyond the Groove

Jazz history is filled with familiar names and celebrated recordings, but some of its most rewarding discoveries live just outside the spotlight. Jimbo Ross has made a specialty of finding those pieces and giving them a new life, and on Beyond the Groove, his third jazz project, he approaches the canon with the restless curiosity of an artist who hears possibility in every phrase. Armed with his five-string electric viola and joined by the longtime ensemble he has developed remarkable chemistry with, Ross turns 13 classics into a playground for imagination, virtuosity and sheer musical joy.

Ross’ instrument remains one of the album’s great attractions. Its ability to move from the earthy lower register of the viola through its resonant middle range and into soaring violin-like territory gives him an unusually broad palette. More important, he uses that range expressively rather than as a novelty, shifting from clipped, percussive figures to long melodic lines, quicksilver runs and unexpected bursts of high-register color.

“Groovin’ High” immediately establishes the spirit. Ross trades playful motifs with pianist Stuart Elster before the tune opens into a swinging ensemble workout featuring extended piano and guitar improvisations from Joe Gaeta. The viola darts, skips and climbs above Peter Marshall’s plucky bass and Ron Wagner’s crisp drumming, setting up the album’s recurring pattern of Ross presenting the melody before handing the spotlight to the band.

That collaborative instinct is especially evident on Thelonious Monk’s “In Walked Bud,” where a funky rhythmic foundation supports Ross’ dancing interpretation before Gaeta, Elster and the rhythm section each add their own perspective. “A Night in Tunisia” expands the formula further, moving between percussive viola passages, faster swing sections and fiery guitar and piano solos. Rather than treating these standards as sacred relics, Ross and his quartet use them as launchpads.

The slower selections provide an essential counterweight. Bill Evans’ “Peri’s Scope” brings a lighter, more lyrical touch, with Ross floating above an easy swing while Elster’s piano and Gaeta’s guitar add subtle color. “Gloria’s Step,” another Evans-associated gem, takes on a gently wistful character, while John Lewis’ “Afternoon in Paris” finds the quartet returning to a brighter, more buoyant groove. These shifts in pace broaden the album’s emotional and sonic palette, giving Ross and his ensemble room to reveal their lyrical sensitivity and improvisational fire.

Ross is particularly effective when the arrangements allow contrasting voices to collide. Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream” combines Latin-inflected rhythm with rapid-fire viola, guitar and piano exchanges, while “Juicy Lucy” develops a wonderfully playful dialogue between Ross and Gaeta. On Monk’s “I Mean You,” high viola figures hover above darker bass and piano colors before the performance erupts into another fast-moving exchange. “Whisper Not” similarly builds from stop-and-start phrases into a muscular swing showcase.

By the time the quartet reaches Miles Davis’ “Solar” and Silver’s “Nutville,” the musicians seem to be operating on pure momentum, with Ross navigating the upper reaches of his instrument while the band continually reshapes the groove beneath him.

What makes Beyond the Groove so satisfying is not simply Ross’ astonishing command of the viola. It is the generosity with which he shares the music. Every tune becomes an invitation—to swing, experiment, trade ideas and rediscover compositions that deserve another hearing. The result is a celebration of jazz tradition that never sounds trapped by it.