Customer Reviews

Home Cookin

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow, now here's a good work for you hammond b-3 fans. The small 3 personal group that basically epitomizes the Jimmy Smith sound in his blue-note years are here. With the added tenor saxophone work of Percy France, you got a great combination of soul food for you ears! Like the title of the album, there is a great deal of blues entwined inside every track. Highlights on the album were immediately the really driving "I Got a Woman," a great Ray Charles standard that Kenny Burrell, another fine jazz guitarist really shines. There are points when it seems that this is more a blues-jazz group, there isn't much in terms of be-bop flashiness, which may turn off some arrogant jazz types. It seems that Jimmy Smith's greatest work isn't in the spitty organ leads he pumps, its the subtle organ bass lines that sound incredible. THERE IS NO BASS PLAYER IN HIS GROUP! Every track reveals a good blues sensibility that the hammond b-3 organ seems to lend itself too. Jimmy Smith's album here helps to bridge a great gap between the intellectual and heady jazz of the era with the low-down chicken house organ sounds... Incredible, and this album is one of his best!

If you are into Jimmy Smith, you will own this one...no doubt. If you are teetering on the edge, i rekon the fact it has Kenny Burrell on guitar should get it over the line! This comes from a period where Jimmy recorded some of his finest music, it is early and it is cooking! smooth, small band, soul jazz...the way we like it.

Basically, this is a real down home swingin' blues album. Jimmy Smith could always get down and groovy into the blues as he does here. You wonder what the world would have lost if the Hammond B-3 was never invented. There clearly isn't an instrument better suited for Smith and his bluesy ideas.

Smith just has fun going up and down the scales, with ease and brilliance, then stopping where he likes it, to swing you down home.

Like many other albums I buy, the cover is what attracted me to the album. I love this cover! The top five Blue Note album covers would be Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin', Hank Mobley's Workout, Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe, Larry Young's Unity, and this one, by Jimmy Smith!

After putting in the cd, I relized this was going to be a cool blue session. Percy France is on tenor. He reminds me of Tina Brooks, in the fact that they didn't get that much recognition. Kenny Burrell, who's simplistic style fits well here. Donald Bailey, who is on practically every other Jimmy Smith Blue Note out there, doesn't solo as usual. Instead, provides a back bone for Percy, Smith, and Burrell to throw out their ideas.

One interesting thing about this album is the song, I Got A Women, the popular tune by Ray Charles. That tune cooks! Burrell helps out Smith on this one with the melody. The only other cover, besides See See Rider, Since I Fell For You, is quite good! Ramsey Lewis and Vince Guaraldi have been known to include these in their sets.

The tune Gracie, which Ira Gitler points out is not the wife of George Brown, but rather a sophisticated women! Come On Baby is all Kenny, and Apostrophe, the only France original, did not appear on the orginal issue on vinyl back in 1959.

Especially now with the bonus tracks, their is even more reason to get this cd. Including some alternate takes are brand new tunes never heard at all. They included Groanin' and Apostrophe.

France lays out some tracks here. Basically this is not a fireous album. This is cool blues, to put on at night and groove to. Home Cookin'!! Get your cookin' and groovin' done here!

This classic Blue Note album from the master of the Hammond Organ Jimmy Smith was recorded in May 1959. With Smith are Donald Bailey on Drums, Percy France on Tenor Saxophone and Kenny Burrell Guitar. What you may have noticed is there is no bass player. The reason for that is that Jimmy Smith plays the bass lines on the Organ pedals, a talent normally associated with the Church Organ.

The whole album is embued with the blues from the very first track, a slow and loping version of 'See See Rider'. A superb version of Ray Charles 'I Got a Woman' continues the blues feel. Both Burrell and Smith have lovely solos. This is the kind of infectious Jazz that should really be more popular than it is. A memorable tune and a groove that even the most ardent Jazz hater would be hard-pushed to dislike. The album has a number of bonus tracks that make the re-issue even more essential than the original album. My favourite is 'Since I Fell For You' another swinging and bluesy track that has a marvellous solo by Burrell.

Mention should also be made of the fantastic album cover. Many of the Blue Note covers were works of art in there own right and this is one the best.

Jimmy Smith produced a number of classic Blue Note albums and they don't come much better than this one.

For anyone who's a big fan of Jimmy Smith's small group recordings, this album is a must have. "Home Cookin'" includes Mr. Smith with master guitarist Kenny Burrell, equally masterful saxophonist Percy France, and drummer Donald Bailey. The band plays with a combination of relaxed ease and sustained intensity that is hallmark of Jimmy Smith's great 50's and 60's recordings. Highlights of the album include originals like "Messin' Around", "Gracie", "Sugar Hill"(penned by Kenny Burrell), and covers of "See See Rider", "I Got A Woman". This reissue includes five bonus tracks including alternate versions of "Motorin' Along", and "Since I Fell For You". One other thing that always made this album one of my favorite Jimmy Smith albums was the cover. Definitely one of the best and most memorable cover photos Francis Wolff ever took. And Jimmy, I want to know where you got that leather coat? Superfly man!!!

Painting in broad strokes, you could say Jimmy Smith worked at least three formats: Small combo jams like Home Cookim' big orchestral projects like The Cat, and the later heavy funk acid of Root Down.

But even this generalization is too broad: the cover of Home Cookin shows Smith standing near the Apollo Theater in Harlem, far removed from the deep southern roots of Back At The Chicken Shack. Both are the master working in small units, but this set featured guitarist Kenny Burrell

Smith here trades southern fried flash for a slick urban cool. He and Burrell comp together, but amazing is how they do so without getting in the way of their partner. Most of the playing here is both showing incredible restraint, vamping with exquisite taste without once getting in the others way. There is soloing-Burrell more than Smith, but they are concise--not what you may expect from two masters of technique, but perfect for the nuance Home Cookin' builds on.

At times listening here, I could swear Smith is channeling Larry Young, who based his playing more on chord vamping then the quicksilver runs Smith did. Like all great artists, Smith is 100% himself, and a shape shifter when called upon.

I am always shocked over how little attention this guy gets. 'Home Cookin', 'Back at the Chicken Shack' and 'Midnight Special' are all fantastic, laid-back swinging albums. Everyone who has ever heard me play any of these albums has liked them. Even people completely ignorant of jazz.

The Time: 1964

The Place: Englewood Cliffs, NJ

The Personnel: Jimmy Smith, Hammond B-3 Organ, Kenny Burrell, Guitar, Donald Bailey, Drums, and Percy France on Sax.

For about a week in late 1964, these four men made musical history. This wasn't the best of Jimmy Smith's lineups (he had Stanley Turrentine, Grady Tate, and others), but there are two terrific songs on this CD.

The first is Messin' Around, a shuffle blues thing with a nice bluesy feel. But the highlight of the CD is "Gracie" which ends with one of the more unique fade outs I've ever heard, which was part manual (musicians playing softer) and part electronic, with Rudy Van Gelder lowering the volume, while Jimmy Smith plays this riff ever and ever quieter.

Basically, this is a real down home swingin' blues album. Jimmy Smith could always get down and groovy into the blues as he does here. You wonder what the world would have lost if the Hammond B-3 was never invented. There clearly isn't an instrument better suited for Smith and his bluesy ideas.

Smith just has fun going up and down the scales, with ease and brilliance, then stopping where he likes it, to swing you down home.

Like many other albums I buy, the cover is what attracted me to the album. I love this cover! The top five Blue Note album covers would be Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin', Hank Mobley's Workout, Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe, Larry Young's Unity, and this one, by Jimmy Smith!

After putting in the cd, I relized this was going to be a cool blue session. Percy France is on tenor. He reminds me of Tina Brooks, in the fact that they didn't get that much recognition. Kenny Burrell, who's simplistic style fits well here. Donald Bailey, who is on practically every other Jimmy Smith Blue Note out there, doesn't solo as usual. Instead, provides a back bone for Percy, Smith, and Burrell to throw out their ideas.

One interesting thing about this album is the song, I Got A Women, the popular tune by Ray Charles. That tune cooks! Burrell helps out Smith on this one with the melody. The only other cover, besides See See Rider, Since I Fell For You, is quite good! Ramsey Lewis and Vince Guaraldi have been known to include these in their sets.

The tune Gracie, which Ira Gitler points out is not the wife of George Brown, but rather a sophisticated women! Come On Baby is all Kenny, and Apostrophe, the only France original, did not appear on the orginal issue on vinyl back in 1959.

Especially now with the bonus tracks, their is even more reason to get this cd. Including some alternate takes are brand new tunes never heard at all. They included Groanin' and Apostrophe.

France lays out some tracks here. Basically this is not a fireous album. This is cool blues, to put on at night and groove to. Home Cookin'!! Get your cookin' and groovin' done here!

maybe jimmy's best next to back at the chicken shack-really swings-percy france is great on sax