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Jorge Garcia: Dedicated to You

By Jack Bowers
February 26, 2022
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Gigi Gryce

saxophone
1927 - 1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Gigi Gryce's turbo-charged "Minority," which opens Cuban-born guitarist

Jorge Garcia

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Garcia's Dedicated to You, serves as a reminder of how much talent the world lost when alto saxophonist

" data-original-title="" title="">Richie Cole died in May 2020. And if that weren't enough to persuade any doubters, the vibrant "This One's for Richie" (based, appropriately, on the standard "There Will Never Be Another You") readily affirms that opinion. While, alas, those are the only tracks on which Cole performs, they alone make the album well worth the listener's time.

Elsewhere, Garcia teams with harmonica virtuoso

Hendrik Meurkens

harmonica
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Hendrik Meurkens on Garcia's "With You Always" and with vocalist

Wendy Pedersen

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Wendy Pedersen on a fast-moving version of Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg's "Over the Rainbow." Garcia doesn't command center stage until the last three numbers, Cy Coleman's "You Fascinate Me So," the Gershwin brothers' "S'Wonderful" and his heartfelt finale, "Dedicated to You." Once there, he shows that the session's instrumental talents are by no means limited to Cole or Meurkens. Working with smaller groups—including pianist

Paul Banman

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Banman on the groovy "You Fascinate Me"—Garcia shows splendid technique, abundant creative power and an unflagging tendency to swing.

Even so, it is Cole whose electrifying solos lend the album its singular identity, even if only for a couple of numbers. Everything else is admirable but essentially a postscript to Cole's towering presence. That's not meant to put anyone down; as noted, Garcia, Meurkens and the others are quite respectable, and Dedicated to You is pleasing from start to finish—even though one can't hide a wish that there were more to enjoy (the playing time is a meager twenty-eight minutes, something to consider when appraising its over-all merit). High marks, however, for the generally underrated and greatly missed Richie Cole.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Minority; This One��s for Richie; With You Always; Over the Rainbow; You Fascinate Me So; S��Wonderful; Dedicated to You.

Personnel

Jorge Garcia

guitar, electric

Richie Cole

saxophone, alto

Hendrik Meurkens

harmonica

Rick Doll

bass, acoustic

James Cotmon

drums

Jamie Ousley

bass

Gino Castillo

percussion

John Yarling

drums

Paul Banman

piano

Wendy Pedersen

vocals

Album information

Title: Dedicated to You | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced

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