Champ: Dedicated to Jimmy Smith

Joey De Francesco, Billy Hart (Drummer), Randy Johnston | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 11, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: HighNote Records
• ASIN: B00000IO9F
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #345,709 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When Jimmy Smith arrived on the jazz scene in the early 1950s, he played the Hammond B-3 organ in a revolutionary manner. Previously, in the hands of greats such as Thomas "Fats" Waller and "Wild" Bill Davis, the organ had functioned more as an orchestral instrument than a solo vehicle. That changed with Jimmy Smith. He had a riveting, single-note style and a knack for hard-swinging ideas, and he fleshed out his approach by delivering bass lines on foot pedals. He also played to an audience, getting listeners aroused with a bag of musical tricks. Smith has attracted numerous disciples, and there's none better than Joey DeFrancesco, a Philadelphian who emerged in the late 1980s, playing with Miles Davis and then making several noteworthy albums. A major contemporary organ voice, DeFrancesco is a fluid, impressive soloist who here teams with guitarist Randy Johnston and drummer Billy Hart in covering nine ace numbers of the Smith repertoire. "Mack the Knife" finds DeFrancesco playing with a thickly textured, "roller-rink" sound and digging into that trick bag, repeating a lick over and over. On "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," the leader employs a creamier sound and plays rapid, bluesy lines. "Organ Grinder's Swing" is indeed a cooker, while "The Road Song" flows, featuring a bubbling DeFrancesco effort and Johnston's appealing Wes Montgomery-inspired guitar. The title track is jackrabbit fast, and fun. Master trapsman Hart pushes it all with élan. --Zan Stewart

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Always two there are!, September 3, 1999

By 

D. Bassett (Swindon, Wiltshire England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Champ: Dedicated to Jimmy Smith (Audio CD)

A Master and an Apprentice. Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco? Not quite; both Masters. You want home cookin? Take prime Smith soaked in riffs, pop it in your Hammond. No need to simmer for 20 minutes, this is 4 minute fast food, a jazz feast. Sprinkle with hints of Burrell, Swartz and Montgomery and serve with lashings of Jo Jones and Tate. Afterwards sit back and smoke vintage Holmes, McGriff and Macduff and finish it off with a cup of Dennerlein. Sensory overload!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Duty Organ, November 5, 2006

By 

Robert G. Rutkas "JazzManBob Rutkas" (Chicago, Il.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Champ: Dedicated to Jimmy Smith (Audio CD)

I have been a life long fan of Jimmy Smith. I can tell you that Joey D. has been a very good student of the master.
Joey slathers soul on everything he does. It is so cool to see someone who is true to the music. The blues, as Joey plays it, makes you feel good ... no ...great. Please buy this, I promise you will not be disapointed. You will be singing his praises.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, May 28, 2000

By 

Derrick (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Champ: Dedicated to Jimmy Smith (Audio CD)

I just bought this CD today and was completly blown away by the first track. Joey D took me to church on that one. I love all of the other cuts too. I'm 16 and as an upcoming gospel/jazz organist, this cd is a teaching tool for me. The other musicians are extraordinary and I love how they mix together to make music. Chop after chop, riff after riff, I can actually feel the band just playing their hearts out. Buy "Live at the Five Spot" too.