The Grand Groove Hotel | Music At Harry’s Place

Music at Harry’s Place is a favorite summertime attraction in Beloit featuring some of the hottest bands around on the stage “Harry’s Place”, the Harry C. Moore Pavilion in Riverside Park. Ten free concerts are offered thanks to our wonderful sponsors! Thank you to Kerry for sponsoring this concert.

On stage on August 11 is The Grand Groove Hotel, which is a very special edition of the The Groove Hotel which features a four-piece horn section and adds vocals and guitar. Johnse Holt, guitar, Gina Meeks, vocals, Paul Rehfeldt, trombone, and Evon Sams, saxes, add a powerful dose of magic to the potent Groove Hotel brew.  The Groove Hotel sprang from the roots of the Dean Moriarty Jazz Band, whose work ranged from the standard jazz repertoire of Miles, Monk, Mingus, and Coltrane, to an evening-long recasting of rock music standards called “Woodstock: Long Time Gone” which premiered at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center in 2005. Dean alums Dan Kasten, Jeff Layng, and Phil Pilcher teamed up with Bob Rub and Dave Timmcke to form Groove Hotel, with the idea of adding guest musicians on a regular basis. When guests check in to the Groove Hotel they enjoy a comfy bed of rhythm, fine musical cuisine, and silky sheets of sound.

The band’s continually evolving repertoire emphasizes rhythmic variety.  You’ll hear swing, bossa nova, funk, rock, samba, gospel, and Cuban son; sometimes several of these appear in the same tune. Compositions from the jazz canon by Miles Davis, Horace Silver, or Herbie Hancock share the spotlight with songs by George Harrison, King Crimson, Steely Dan, and Eric Clapton, to name just a few. Audiences may also be treated to a world premiere of one of the band’s original compositions.