Jimmy Smith: Six Views of the Blues

Greeeezy! Organist Jimmy Smith never made a bad record for Blue Note. A couple of his Verve recordings are stinkers, but still have some merit. But his Blue Note Recordings, well, they are the epitome of B-3 Hard Bop. That is why the revelation of previously unreleased Blue Note Sides is such a sunny event.

Six Views of the Blues was recorded July 16, 1958 between the sessions that produced On the Sunny Side (Blue Note 1092—NA, recorded July 15th) and Home Cookin' (Blue Note 53360A, recorded on July 17th). Jimmy Smith was a busy man in July 1958. This session finds Smith in the company of his two favorite drummers, Art Blakey and Donald Bailey, Kenny Burrell and oddly enough, Cecil Payne. Payne, a baritone saxophonist, had never previously recorded with Smith. This quartet with a baritone sax is somewhat unusual, perhaps causing these sides to not having been released until now.

The Blues This disc documents a relaxed blowing session that surveys Handy's "St. Louis Blues" and "The Swinging Shepherd Blues" (the only previously released piece on the disc). The remainder of the disc is devoted to four unnamed blues, designated "Blues No. 1—4." Each is a vastly different setting, illustrating the breadth of Smith's talent. This disc is perhaps only for Smith completists. But, then again, there is some thing here for all.