Quentin Warren with Jimmy Smith

**Tom Z** · 06-06-2009, 06:56 PM

I have heard Quentin Warren on a few Jimmy Smith Albums but never saw this guy play. I'll be damned...he uses a STRAT!!!!!!!!!!!

**bgflex** · 05-07-2010, 04:39 AM

What a great contribution this guy has made to jazz. Why can't we find more about him? Yes! A strat. Shocking. Right on.

Here they are doing Wagon Wheel.

**Little Jay** · 05-07-2010, 06:10 AM

I've seen it before. Proof once more that a jazz sound is in the fingers and not in the type of instrument.....

It's not what you play, it's how you play it!

EDIT: watching the video I saw that his PU-switch is all the way down, ergo: he uses the bridge pickup!! Kind of puzzles me how he manages to sound very much like Wes there...... with the BRIDGE PU OF A STRAT!!

**Reg** · 05-09-2010, 09:09 PM

I've own that, pretty much all Jimmy Smiths albums. Yea he gets close to sounding like a jazz box, in Kenny B's direction, but he never really had the chops to hang with Jimmy... or really sound like more than a great blues player, which I dig ... He just got old pretty quick. Not Jimmy though... I guess that's why it was his album... Great stuff, It's great to see vids of music we listen to in the 60's and 70's. Thanks Reg

**Gambrosius1984** · 05-13-2010, 02:46 PM

Quentin never really got his due just like another great Smith sideman who was with him for many years and on many, many albums, Eddie McFadden. They both got chops, that is for sure, but I think Jimmy liked them for there ability to groove on the low register, through in some blistering licks here and there, and always keep that down home blues feel as a foil for his intense style.

Obviously these 2 are overshadowed by Jimmy's other session guitarist in the 50's and 60's, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. There playing is not as memorable as both these monster players, but still great nonetheless.

Here is a sample of Eddie and Jimmy in the 50's:

**Robow11** · 11-02-2012, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

I've seen it before. Proof once more that a jazz sound is in the fingers and not in the type of instrument.....

It's not what you play, it's how you play it!

EDIT: watching the video I saw that his PU-switch is all the way down, ergo: he uses the bridge pickup!! Kind of puzzles me how he manages to sound very much like Wes there...... with the BRIDGE PU OF A STRAT!!

Even though I have the Jimmy Smith CD "Prayer Meetin'" I didn't realize that Quentin Warren played guitar on it. I just stumbled upon a video on YouTube of Jimmy Smith playing "The Sermon" and not only did I notice Quentin playing guitar but he was playing a Strat! and the bridge P/U too!! LOL!! He has a nice tone for a Strat on the bridge P/U. Does anybody have any other info on Quentin Warren? I have a Facebook page called Jazz Is NOT Dead, where we post lots of vids and talk Jazz guitar and post our own vids of us playing. Come join us.

**hot ford coupe** · 11-02-2012, 06:25 AM

The reason you haven't heard much about Quentin Warren is because he played the Strat for jazz. The archtop industry is covertly suppressing jazz played on solid bodies made for rock. It's a secret government conspiracy by big archtop money.

**Little Jay** · 11-02-2012, 08:22 AM

although he also used an archtop:

. (picture was taken during the recording session for Jimmy Smith's Rockin' the Boat album, according to the website)

**monk** · 11-02-2012, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

I've seen it before. Proof once more that a jazz sound is in the fingers and not in the type of instrument.....

It's not what you play, it's how you play it!

EDIT: watching the video I saw that his PU-switch is all the way down, ergo: he uses the bridge pickup!! Kind of puzzles me how he manages to sound very much like Wes there...... with the BRIDGE PU OF A STRAT!!

Roll off the treble on the amp.

**wintermoon** · 11-02-2012, 02:35 PM

Quentin used a Strat during Jimmy Smith's European tour, but always used his custom ordered Gibson L-5 [25" scale Johnny Smith neck] when he was in the States.
Likely didn't want to risk it getting damaged overseas, so he left it home.

**Robow11** · 11-02-2012, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Quentin used a Strat during Jimmy Smith's European tour, but always used his custom ordered Gibson L-5 [25" scale Johnny Smith neck] when he was in the States.
Likely didn't want to risk it getting damaged overseas, so he left it home.

Yep, that makes sense. Even though Hot Ford Coupe's "conspiracy theory" is funny. I have seen lots of "Jazzers" play solid bodies. It juts intrigued me that he was playing a Strat in the early/mid-'60's. Also, the fact that even though I have a Jimmy Smith CD with Quentin Warren on it. I just never heard of him and or paid attention, until I saw the video on YouTube.

**Djudy** · 12-13-2014, 08:56 PM

I just discovered this guitarist through the internet radio Radio Swiss Jazz (excellent programming) on this seasonal number, you can hear his comping coming through very clearly :

**Stuart Elliott** · 12-17-2014, 03:56 PM

Quinten Warren was part of a family that was very involved in the DC jazz scene. His older brother Edward ran rehearsal bands and jams and was a mentor to younger players like drummer Billy Hart, who was a sideman for Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, and later part of Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and Stan Getz groups.

Quinten's nephew (Edward's son) was the bass player Butch Warren who played on many Blue Note albums.

I have quite a few Jimmy Smith LPs and CDs that QW plays on. It's nice to learn that he has a family connection to the bass player on some of my other favorites.

**JayRivers** · 02-05-2015, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

The reason you haven't heard much about Quentin Warren is because he played the Strat for jazz. The archtop industry is covertly suppressing jazz played on solid bodies made for rock. It's a secret government conspiracy by big archtop money.

Lol haha.

For me I can't really hear too much of a huge difference with the solid body during a solo, but it actually does kinda stand out a lot when Quentin Warren is comping on the Bashin' album with Jimmy Smith. I think it's really missing that chunk-a-thunk comping sound of a hollowbody.

Here's another one regarding solidbodies- Joe Pass burnin' it up on a Fender:

**neatomic** · 02-24-2019, 08:31 PM

goin wayback to dust the cobwebs off this thread...was listening to this slow burner by jimmy smith off his prayer meetin album...which was cut at van gelders exactly a month after burrells midnight blue..both featured stanley turrentine on tenor

& the guitar on this was so tasty- quentin warren...indeed