In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, guitarist Slim Gambill had an idea: mash up Wes Montgomery’s “Four on Six” with Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” and turn it into a quarantine-style jazz guitar summit. That original idea has turned into something much more, as you can see in the video below, which JazzTimes is honored to premiere.
The tune, which is being billed as “Twenty-Four on Six” by Slim Gambill & Friends, features 18 guitarists, including Mike Stern, Stanley Jordan, Snarky Puppy’s Mark Lettieri, and of course Gambill himself. It also boasts several vocalists, with Kurt Elling, David Ryan Harris, and Candice Devine topping the list. Please note that the clip above is only a teaser; the full video goes live Thursday, Oct. 29, exclusively at 24on6.com.
Besides being a fun collaboration, “Twenty-Four on Six” has a purpose: to push fans to donate to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Musicians Relief Fund, which is helping to support the many musicians who are struggling financially in the wake of the pandemic.
“I was really happy to be included in this beautiful project,” Mike Stern comments. “Slim worked his ass off on this ambitious production, and he played his ass off also! And the proceeds are of course going to MusiCares, which is such a wonderful organization, always helping musicians in need. And there are a lot of musicians in need of help nowadays. So I’m grateful and proud to have been able to make a small contribution.”
