Four on Six and Summertime – 1987

Jimmy Gourley

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Guitarist Jimmy Gourley (1926-2008) was born in St. Louis and played mostly in the Chicago area during 1946-51.

However because he moved to France in 1951 and rarely returned home, many jazz fans think that he was French.

An excellent straight ahead guitarist, Gourley not only worked with the top French jazz musicians but such visiting Americans as Bob Brookmeyer, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Bud Powell, Zoot Sims, Lucky Thompson, and Lester Young.

From 1987, the guitarist at first performs Wes Montgomery’s “Four on Six” (which utilizes the chords of “Summertime”) with tenor-saxophonist Barney Wilen (who sounds a bit like Stan Getz in this setting), bassist Dominique Lemerle, and drummer Philippe Combelle.

Then the tempo slows down and the quartet plays a straight forward version of “Summertime” itself.

-Scott Yanow

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