Powerhouse guitarist Bob DeVos exemplifies what to look for in a mainstream jazz artist....

"Powerhouse guitarist Bob DeVos exemplifies what to look for in a mainstream jazz artist: a rich, round tone around a glowing center, a profound rhythmic capacity, a hearty swing, a creative thinker who seeks the best notes for a given situation and executes them seemingly without effort. He presents top-rate material in a way that is both inventive and accessible. He digs deep into his distinctive, prodigious style which is deeply rooted in both the bebop and beyond idiom and his blues acumen....the world class guitarist didn't need a warm-up. He came out smoking." Zan Stewart, SPOTLIGHT

With long, blues-drenched melodic lines, and a fat, warm, horn-like sound, guitarist and composer Bob DeVos has his own signature style-- groove and sophistication. Audiences and critics thrill to DeVos' "full, liquid tone," "soulful, intelligent interpretations," and "superb, modern compositional skills" and dig his"infectious, funky groove.". 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. His 2006 CD Shifting Sands on Savant was in the top twenty on JazzWeek's National Airplay Chart for 28 weeks and on many Top Ten jazz CDs of 2006 and a WBGOFM Jazz Radio "Play of the Month". Playing For Keeps on Savant was released in late October 2007 and rose to # 6 on JazzWeek's charts, in the Top Ten for 18 weeks, and was a WBGO "Play of the Month" for 4 months. His next Savant CD, again with his Bob DeVos Organ Trio will be released in 2010.

Musically mature, versatile, innovative and always hip, 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 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 deepened 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" which aired nationwide on PBS’s Club Date series. He toured as a member of saxophonist Gerry Neiwood’s group "Timepiece" with Grammy winner Dave Samuels. As a member of composer 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, Ralph Bowen, 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, John Lee, Gene Ludwig, Pat Martino, Jack MacDuff, Ron McClure, Hendrik Meurkens, David "Fathead" Newman, Adam Nussbaum, Greg Osby, Houston Person, Irene Reid, Rufus Reid, Mike Richmond, Jim Rontondi, Bob Sheppard, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Dave Stryker, Grady Tate, Akiko Tsuraga, Stanley Turrentine, Dave Valentin, Ray Vega, Kenny Washington, Jerry Weldon, Buddy Williams, and many, many others.

Current Work

Bob leads his own innovative Bod DeVos Organ Trio with Dan Kostelnik on the Hammond B3 organ and Steve Johns on drums. His 2006 CD is "Shifting Sands, "HighNote/Savant records debuted at Live at J & R in a national live broadcast over WBGOJazz Radio 88.3FM. Playing on the CD are Bob's trio and Eric Alexander as guest tenor player, and Gary Fritz lending percussion to two tracks. Bob's trio reunited with Alexander for 2007's "Playing For Keeps." Bob is also a member of the forward-thinking Ron McClure Quartet and is a member and featured performer with the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra under the leadership of Bill Warfield. Bob collaborates frequently with Hendrik Meurkens, Onaje Allan Gumbs, and in duo guitar with Dave Stryker.

Bob was the musical director and guitarist for the smashing all-star AN ORGAN SUMMIT SUPREME that honored Jimmy McGriff and reunited Bob with Dr. Lonnie Smith, David "Fathead" Newman, Trudy Pitts, Houston Person, Gene Ludwig & attracted an audience of over 1,200. WBGOJazzradio 88.3FM was the event media sponsor.

In recent years, Bob has performed at the Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center, The Blue Note, Iridium, SMOKE, The Jazz Bakery, Chris' Jazz Cafe, Sweet Basil, Birdland, The Kitano, Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base, B.B.King's, The Van Dyke Café, 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 freelance player, he is heard frequently on jazz stations nationwide.

Mr. DeVos is on the music faculty at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, teaches privately. An innovative and sensitive teacher, he has done extensive work in jazz clinics and has also taught at William Paterson University. He is a past artist-in-residence at Arts High, Newark, NJ, the nation's first performing arts secondary school.

Composition

Mr. DeVos’ writing has been cited by the New Jersey Council on the Arts where he is a past grant recipient for composition. Critics universally acclaim his arranging and composing for his CDs as a leader and the CDs of others: "Maine-Stay", "Shorter Story", "West Side Blues", and "In Search of Times Lost" on "Match Point" (Steeplechase), with the Ron McClure Quartet); "Pause for Fred’s Claws" on "Groove ORGANization,"with the Gene Ludwig Trio (BluesLeaf); and "Memorial Day" on "Keepers of the Flame: Charles Earland", (HighNote), with the Charles Earland Tribute Band anchored by Joey DeFrancesco. "Shorter Story" and "Shifting Sands" have been recorded by West Coast tenor great Bob Sheppard on Sheppard's "In The Now and Tell Tale Signs (BMG Records). "Breaking The Ice", arranged for big band by Bill Warfield for his NY Repertory Orchestra outing featuring Gene Ludwig and Bob on 18th and Vine.

Program
Sat March 13, 8 & 10pm - shows Bob DeVos Organ Trio w/Dan Kostelnik & Steve Johns featuring Ralph Bowen Cape Bank Jazz @The Point, http://www.spjazz.org/ - Greate Bay Country Club, 901 Mays Landing Road, Somers Point,

Sat March 27, 8-10pm 2 sets Bob DeVos Organ Trio w/Dan Kostelnik & Steve Johns The Baird Arts Center http://www.thebaird.org/ - 5 Mead Street, South Orange, NJ 973-378-7754,

Sat April 17, 3-5pm Bob DeVos Duo with Brian Glassman Arts Expo 2010 http://www.woartscouncil.org/ Fellowship Hall, St Cloud Church, 20 Old Indian Road, West Orange, NJ

Sun April 18 2-4pm Dave Braham Quartet--"Rhythm-ing: Explorations in Rhythm" interactive Arts Expo 2010 http://www.woartscouncil.org/ Fellowship Hall, St Cloud Church, 20 Old Indian Road, West Orange, NJ

Fri April 30, 8pm Akiko Tsuruga Quartet w/Jerry Weldon & Rudy Petschauer - Villa Roma Resort Hotel 356 Villa Roma Road, Callicoon, NY 845-887-4880
http://www.bobdevosjazzguitar.com/bio.htm

Jazzkat Artist Randy Johnston playing with Bob DeVos at the Whole Foods Jazz Festival in NJ. Playing Invitation-Kaper/Washington "Invitation".