Jazz Articles about Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith: Retrospective

by John Kelman
January 10, 2005

Jimmy Smith Retrospective Blue Note 2004

With the proliferation of Hammond B-3 organ players that have emerged in the past ten years including Joey DeFrancesco, Larry Goldings, John Medeski and Dan Wall, it's hard to imagine a time when the instrument wasn't a common texture And, as the liner notes to the long-overdue four-disc look at B-3 progenitor Jimmy Smith's early career on Blue Note, Retrospective , say: “Jimmy Smith did not invent jazz ...

Jimmy Smith: Retrospective

by Jeff Stockton
January 6, 2005

In over four hours of music spread across four discs, this collection demonstrates how Jimmy Smith revolutionized the Hammond B-3 as a jazz instrument of expressiveness and versatility, both as a sideman and as a leader. The usual Blue Note stars are here: Lou Donaldson's alto sax illuminates “Summertime" and cries the blues on “All Day Long"; on “Groovy Date," Donaldson anchors a front line that includes Hank Mobley blowing crystalline tenor and Donald Byrd on trumpet; and on “Yardbird ...

Jimmy Smith: Prayer Meetin

by Joel Roberts
July 25, 2004

Jimmy Smith and the late Stanley Turrentine were one of the great organ-sax combos, collaborating on a series of albums for Blue Note in the early '60s that helped define the genre of soul jazz. The last of those efforts was 1963's Prayer Meetin' , made at the end of a flurry of recording activity by Smith (four albums in a week's time) as he rushed to complete his contract with Blue Note before heading over to Verve.

Just reissued ...

Jimmy Smith: Christmas Cookin'

by Robert Gilbert
December 8, 2002

On the cover of Jimmy Smith's 1964 Christmas album, the organist is decked out in a Santa suit behind the wheel of a red sports car with a tree and presents in tow. The irreverent and fun photograph is a good primer to the contents inside, for this is no hackneyed rundown of a group of well-worn holiday favourites. Instead, Smith puts a soulful and exciting stamp on each track, along with the help of arrangers Billy Byers and Al ...

Jimmy Smith: The Fantastic Jimmy Smith

by Charlie B. Dahan
March 1, 2002

The Fantastic Jimmy Smith, documents the beginnings of a remarkable career in music. This album is from the period of 1953-1955 when Smith first began to dedicate himself to the organ. While the recording here do not match the level of his later sides, the album provides insight into a man about to become the greatest at his instrument.Before Jimmy Smith became the legendary jazz organist, he was an in-house session pianist and organist for New ...

Jimmy Smith: Fourmost Return

by David A. Orthmann
April 1, 2001

An informal, occasionally rambling conversation between longtime colleagues,Fourmost Returnconsists of seven previously unreleased tracks from a 1990 live performance at Fat Tuesday’s in New York City. With an emphasis on blues material, the record is a no frills blowing session, a format ideally suited to the individual talents of organist and leader Jimmy Smith, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and the drums and cymbals of Grady Tate.

The quartet’s performance of Sonny Rollins’ “Sonnymoon For Two” sets the ...

Jimmy Smith: Dot Com Blues

by Chris M. Slawecki
January 11, 2001

He's known as one of the founding jazz fathers of Hammond B-3 organ funk, but Jimmy Smith has always played the blues. Born in December 1928 in a suburb west of Philadelphia, Smith has been performing since he was 12, at that time in a song and dance act with his father. After a stint in the navy, Smith took advantage of the GI Bill to study bass, piano and music theory upon his service discharge. During this period Smith ...