Jimmy Smith: Retrospective

Through it all Smith plays creatively from a seemingly endless fountain of ideas, supplying bass lines, vamps and solo runs as warranted. On trio cuts, it's Smith and his guitarist who connect telepathically, first with Thornel Schwartz, later with Burrell and Eddie McFadden, finally with Quentin Warren, all of whom comp masterfully and contribute sharp, penetrating solos. Jackie McLean, Ike Quebec, George Coleman, and Lee Morgan put in appearances, and disc four features what might have been Smith's best known band, with Stanley Turrentine and his freshly youthful tenor leading the way on cuts like "Back at the Chicken Shack" and "Midnight Special."

Smith's sound is iconic: cool and blue on the lower end of the scale, simmering in the midrange, piercing with vibrato on the upper end. This retrospective offers Smith's approach to popular standards and Monk, takes you to church and delivers consistently excellent and infectiously funky-bluesy tunes, one after another. You get the sense that these guys can deliver these performances on demand, effortlessly.

And it's all here in one beautiful package: Francis Wolff's photos of Smith and his collaborators in action, a well-written essay by Bob Blumenthal, complete recording information and 38 Jimmy Smith grooves to suit every mood, all recorded in immaculate Rudy Van Gelder style. Load the changer and let 'em purr.