Jump to content

Jimmy Smith: You're the man!


Matthew

Recommended Posts

Jimmy Smith, for me, has been one of those artists that I never seem to tire of; he's just made quality music throughout his life. I find his earliest years on Blue Note his most interesting because to have the quality of wide open horizens to them. Smith was not just the "groove master" of records like "Back at the Chicken Shack" and "Midnight Special". No, his early stuff had a sense of the possible to them, that the organ, as an instrument, was something the he was just discovering, that's what makes them unique in the annuals of organ recordings. He did solo cuts, was not afraid of sounding "corny" and sentimental, and played wild bop on them also. Clearly, one of his models was Bud Powell, and that heard best on "Live at the Baby Grand", both volumes contain some of the wildest and most creative keyboard playing ever put on record. You have something like "Baby Grand" and then Smith puts out an amazing record like "Plays Fats Waller", and you wonder: "Did the same person make both these records?" Yes, he did, which was and is part of his genuis -- not being afraid to let the organ sound old fashioned. Well, I could go on forever about this guy but I'll stop right now and go listen to some Smith magic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jimmy still blows my mind even tho my appreciate of other organists has branched out. What not many people know is that his early playing, around 56-58 nwas very Coltrane influenced, and I've known cats who when I mention that it's like blasphemy to say. but it's true, Jimmy was doing sheets of sound on the organ. And then of course Larry Young took the freer elements of Trane's playing and ran with them later on. Jimmy will always remain one of my favs, and "The Sermon" w/o question probably my favorite record, period. I grew up on that, it was in my posession as soon as I could handle records when I was little.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

somebody get the picture with him using the Wersi outta here :P "The Cat Strikes Again" was an awful album, absolutely horrid.  When he recorded that, just how long did he abandon the B-3?  I can't think that it was for too long b/c he was back on the big B for "Off the Top" in '82

Amen to that.

O.K., I took it out but I want to add...

jazzfest2-0135.jpg

jimmysmith2.jpg

p08579jobo7.jpg

jimmysmith.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

p08579jobo7.jpg

Little known fact about Jimmy Smith. He was a great fan of "The Fonze", and Henry Winkler used to visit Smith's nightclub in L.A. Whenever someone ever heckled Bad Ass Jimmy Smith, he'd tell the sucker to "SIT ON IT!" Hey, Jimmy was a bad motha' like the Fonze! ;)

Edited by Matthew
Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks Matthew. The Wersi ::cringe:: sounds thin as hell. I was saying to myself earlier that the company probably needed a famous organ player to endorse their crappy sounding organ and thought: HEEEEEEEEEY! why not get Jimmy Smith? We'll wow him out of that antiquated Hammond, hell it's not even produced anymore, so let's sell him on the benefits of our organ's great new sound :D

Wersi: sounds just like a Hammond, after a testicular removal

ok, I had my late night fun, really tired, it's tough the last week of classes before I have my finals.

Edited by CJ Shearn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jimmy Smith was the father of all B-3ers after him. Either people avoided his style or slavishly copied him; but his force had to be reckoned with inevitably. The only way not to be influence in some way was to just shut yourself off, like Soulstream tells us John Patton did.

There was no one greater on the instrument.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure, but I believe he was fulfilling his Blue Note contract while recording with Verve at the same time. The guy was prolific for sure.

I love many of Jimmy's Verve recordings like "The Cat" and "Organ Grinder's Blues" and "Hoochie Koochie Man," etc., and I feel that they are just as essential as his Blue Note stuff. (Well maybe not quite as essential.)

How about those wonderful sessions he did later in life: "Master" and "Master II." Can't remember if they were Blue Note or Verve, but he was in terrific form along with Kenny Burrell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:g:g Spot on...These sessions, though' not as well known as one would expect, are top notch Jimmy's trio, featuring Kenny Burrell and Jimmie Smith(!) dms.Both CD's were recorded 24-25 december 1993 in Osaka and feature the following program :

Chittlins con carne

It's allright with me

Organ grinder swing

The preacher

All day long

Got my mojo working

When Johnny comes marchin home

back at the chicken shack

The cat

Summertime

Laura

Mack the knife

A child is born

Stormy Monday

On top of that, recording quality is excellent...A clear winner :wub:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cool, it's good to see that he'll be back playing. Those "Master" discs are very valuable because he's playing in a trio, which IMO shows his absolutely command of the instrument, and especially when backed by a favorite player like Burrell, shows his sensitivity to the musicians. Those records were recorded for Somethin' Else, BN's sister company. Does anyone know if Jimmy recorded more sessions in Japan at that time that have gone unreleased? I remember in a 1992 Stanley Turrentine article in Downbeat that it said he was involved in an engagement in Tokyo with Jimmy, Kenny and Grady Tate. Was this recorded? Another excellent example of late period live Jimmy are the two "Fourmost"" and "Fourmost Return" discs on Milestone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...