Fans of psychedelic R&B will dig the trippy organ trio stylings of Parlor Greens. With the stylistic genealogy of Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery Trio, Jimmy McGriff, and Grant Green’s Talkin’ About, Parlor Greens forges its path with a chill, groove-oriented sound with minimalist early-’60s R&B guitar; imagine Cornell Dupree in a surf band with a Hammond B3.

Sonic guitar messenger Jimmy James, formerly of the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, lays down fat-free chordal embellishments, in-the-pocket lead lines, spikey horn stabs, and the blues. Next to him, organist Adam Scone and drummer Tim Carman funk up the atmosphere with spacious soul and boogaloo beats.

“Driptorch,” “Sugar Maple,” and “In Green We Dream” set the tone for their sparse-is-more approach that never tries to fill every hole. Scone solos magnificently on the latter cut until James takes over with 16th-note explorations on a Silvertone. James plays clean in a masterclass, illustrating what a well-placed motif can do without a massive pedalboard. With smidgeons of reverb, swingin’ ditties like “The Ripper” and “Irish Goodbye” generate involuntary hip swaying, while the soul-jazz groove of “The Jelly Roll” transports listeners to a hip, smokey basement party from 60 years ago.

This article originally appeared in VG’s August 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.