Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith: Legacy

120

Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith: Legacy

By

Sign in to view read count
Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith: Legacy
With the passing of organ legend Jimmy Smith on February 8th, the jazz world lost a boundless innovator and a good old friend. His final recording, the appropriately titled Legacy, proves that, even in his seventies, he was still the man on the B3. He shares the bill with disciple Joey DeFrancesco, once hailed as the precocious child in the Hammond dynasty.

The disc cooks from jump with the nimble title track and the duo shines on Smith's wicked "Dot Com Blues. The pace slows down with the soulful "I'll Close My Eyes, then picks up again as Smith and DeFrancesco race like madmen through a Latinized version of "Back at the Chicken Shack. "Jones'n For Elvin, a tribute to another recently departed jazz master, opens fittingly with a thrashing drum statement, then settles down with the organists trading off in the blues groove. The arrangement of "Corcovado initially follows the standard outline, lilting strings and all, then the duo conspires to bleed it beyond its established borders and set it down in another country altogether. Smith's down-low, salty singing highlights the funky "I've Got My Mojo Workin', and their rum-soaked take on Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas is so good that it actually leaves Newk's original a couple of knots out in the Caribbean.

It was said that in the wake of the Marsalis-led resurgence of jazz in the '80s, DeFrancesco helped people to rediscover the pleasures of the Hammond B3 organ. This was a clear case of creationism usurping evolution. Just because the public chose to look askance at jazz during those waning years doesn't mean that Jimmy Smith and other great jazzmen had gone anywhere. He was always here for us. From the flick of the organ's on switch to the last note played, Jimmy Smith was the blueprint and the foundation. He knew he was bad. Everybody knew.

Track Listing

1)Legacy 2)Dot Com Blues 3)I'll Close My Eyes 4)Back at the Chicken Shack 5)Jones'n For Elvin 6)Off the Top 7)Corcovado (Quiet Nights) 8)I've Got My Mojo Workin' 9)St. Thomas 10)Blues for Bobby C. 11)Midnight Special

Personnel

Joey DeFrancesco--Organ Jimmy Smith--Organ James Moody--Tenor Saxophone

Album information

Title: Legacy | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.