The album carries that sense of care and connection, a reflection of the relationships that have shaped him as both a musician and a person.
Criss Cross Jazz
Gregory Groover Jr. – tenor saxophone; Joel Ross – vibraphone; Paul Cornish – piano; Harish Raghavan – bass; Kendrick Scott – drums
Gregory Groover Jr.’s Old Knew brings together a band that falls into step from the first note. There’s that sturdy hard-bop backbone — the kind those classic players shaped their sound around — but here it’s carried by a frontline of tenor and vibes that Groover writes for with real intention. With Joel Ross on vibes, Paul Cornish at the piano, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums, the record moves with an easy spark.
“Spaces” lays out the approach right away: Cornish sets a walking figure, Raghavan taps out an anxious pulse, and Groover skates over the top with an upbeat line that keeps looping back on itself. Ross slips in with a solo shaped around that same insistence — everything circling the same idea.
On “551,” dedicated to the church where Groover’s father preached, the music jumps in with a lively, syncopated energy. The band hits a near-unison phrase that keeps circling the tune, and Ross’s bright, ringing solo kicks everything into motion. Cornish opens up more space, while Scott and Raghavan hold the foundation steady.
Things tighten up on “Go for Broke.” Cornish opens with a sharp, forward-leaning figure while Scott snaps aggressive stick work around him. When Groover enters, he doesn’t push the tempo or stretch things out. He stays close to the melody and works within its contour, giving the tune a firm center. Ross jumps in with those clipped, staccato bursts he likes to throw. He can shift between a brittle, percussive sound reminiscent of Lionel Hampton and a smooth, lyrical tone like Milt Jackson. Cornish keeps the momentum up with subtle rhythmic shifts that keep the band alert without ever throwing things off.
The mood shifts on “Rain Shall Fall,” which opens with a ballad-like gentleness before settling into a warm groove. Groover and Ross glide together on the theme, tracing nearly the same thought, then Ross opens up with a deliberate solo as Groover responds with lines that feel more sung than played. Cornish’s lines climb and fold back, moving in small waves that push and pull the tune forward.
The title track, “Old Knew,” drifts in gently, with Groover playing softly yet fully in control. The introduction of electric piano adds a warm, slightly hazy color, and Ross takes a lyrical turn on vibes, channeling a Milt Jackson-like tone. The piece unfolds with a dreamy, floating quality.
Old Knew is rooted in trust — in the band, in the moment, and in the sound Groover has been shaping since childhood. Growing up in church, surrounded by people who poured into him and especially his father, he absorbed lessons about music, story, and devotion that run through every note. The album carries that sense of care and connection, a reflection of the relationships that have shaped him as both a musician and a person.
