Customer Reviews

Midnight Special

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Midnight Special was culled from the same recording session that produced Back to the Chicken Shack. If you're familiar with that session you may as well just click the purchase button now because this disc is comparably smoking. Like Back At The Chicken Shack the man who puts this disc over the top is Stanley Turrentine. His solo are riotous romps of bluesy honks. Smith keeps it fairly mellow on his solos, but is in the usual form. The original tunes are catchy and the standards are excellent renditions. Basically, an essential recording for any fan of Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine or soul jazz in general.

it's round midnight. the lights are low, the table candles have all burned down. there's a haze of blue smoke hanging just below the ceiling. the conversation has dropped to muffled whisper. it's time for the blues to roll in. it's nearing time for last call, but there's still minute or two to try to drown yesterday.

that's the feel of jimmy smith's opening number. mr. smith is a master of the blues, and when he entered the studio with stanley turrentine and kenny burrell in tow, a super session was put in place. mr. smith revolutionized the hammond b-3 making it a staple of hard bop jazz, but he never forgot the roots of the instrument--blues shacks and also church halls. this album covers the spectrum, revealing the funk at the heart of jazz, but also exploring the nuances of bop--"a subtle one"--

getting this album is getting one of the true masterpieces of the blue note catalog.

"Midnight Special" is the lesser-known sister album of Jimmy Smith's monumental "Back at the Chicken Shack." The "Midnight Special" album has exactly the same sound (lineup) and the songs on "Midnight Special" seem to pick up right where "Chicken Shack" left off. Jimmy shines as master of his art, making jamming on the electric organ sound as easy as walking. He's bluesy, funky, and bopping all at the same time. And if the electric organ is the heart of this album, then the saxophone is the soul. There simply isn't a bad note on this album, and it's a shame it isn't remembered with as much popularity and praise as "Chicken Shack." It's just as good.

"Midnight Special" and "Back At The Chicken Shack," both featuring the same line-up (Jimmy Smith - organ, Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell - guitar, and Donald Bailey - drums,) are the quintessential organ / tenor sax recordings. Which is better? Well they were both recorded at the same place on the same day so they should be treated as one. In other words, buy them both!

I am rediscovering JS and started to get his CDs, this one is a must in his work. I had the chance to meet personally Mr S. Turrentine years ago, and listened him alive as well, here you can appreciate his art.

High quality jazz music on JS style. The sound could be better but remember is 1960' production. You will not waste your money.

It is surprising that Jimmy's 'Back at the Chicken Shack' has so many more reviews listed than 'Midnight Special'. This album is just as good as or better than Back at the Chicken Shack. If you love one, you'll love the other. If you have neither, buy both for crying out loud - they're excellent.

The first "cut", which is the album title (Midnight Special) is enough to make you buy this album. It's one of the best bluesy openings to a album that you will ever hear. Jimmy is playing masterfully whether out front or "in the back". I first heard this album in 1960 at the age of eleven and wore it out before I reached twelve! Over forty years later, I still love this record.

Recorded in 1960, after CHICKEN SHACK, this is probably Jimmy Smith's most memorable BLUE NOTE album, cover and all. It features his classic quartet with a very upfront Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey.

Now, if you want my honest opinion, Jimmy isn't my favorite organist - - I tend to learn more towards Wild Bill Davis, Jack McDuff - - and some of the more off center players of the era... that said, Jimmy created the sound and opened the door wide open for a million players that came after... He did it by refining what a lot of older chitlin circuit players were doing and giving the organ a role in the Hard Bop music of the day..

This said, let's talk abotu the tunes. Midnight Special is a distinct JOS anthem. - - While other players tended to play the blues hot, gospelly and over the top, Jimmy Smith is laid back, yet deep in the back. - - Studying this tune alone can tell you a lot about Jimmy and his licks... its also amazing how clear and up front his solo sound always was - - I mean, you might credit some of it to engineer RVG, but RVG recorded almost all the other organists and none had that clear crisp sound when they played the B3... in addition, if you listen to all the organists who came after, expect to hear elements of this tune replaying itself out in all their solos... For this reason, I'd have to say that if you don't own a copy of this album, yet claim to be an organ buff, you're a living paradox (!)

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is followed by a tasty Turrentine swinger which gives Jimmy Smith a chance to show off his masterful walk (one, which prior to him only Wild Bill Davis had mastered - - meaning, played so well you think that there's a real bass player.) - - Donald Bailey really cooks on this, and Turrentine gets a good word in... Jimmy's solo here is an example of the enormous influence he had on all the players who came after... you'll hear a lot of what Jack McDuff and Groove Holmes would take off on... (suggested follow up listening: McDuff's THE HONEYDRIPPER.)

Next is a classic (even today a favorite set chaser for a lot of groups) JUMPIN' THE BLUES... Turrentine definitely sounds like TURRENTINE with that ultra tasty sound he had... Jimmy Smith takes off with his trademark pocket bop (an amazing thing about his playing being not just the licks he played, but how he could restrain himself when necessary, and let go when called for as well.) - - Kenny Burrell is at bat next. - - I've always felt KB was an acquired taste, not as notey as many other guitarists, nor as bluesy as some others, once you learn to dig him, each and every solo is heaven...

Second to last, WHY WAS I BORN shows off Jimmy's ballad chops... he starts off playing old style organ, but when Stanley comes in, the band has a light but groovy feel, which in my book shows Jimmy's true gift - - the ability to find new relevance for the organ within the context of the era... What we hear is a blue and groovy pitter-pat your feet ballad... there's a bit of church in it, but its still hard bop... I really love Donald Bailey's space and time keeping on this one... The Sugarman gets the first and last word on this one, simply holding the pocket straight through, and believe you me, if you think its THAT easy, try it yourself...

Last but not least is a STANDARD'S STANDARD, ONE O'CLOCK JUMP, a great solo vehicle for the entire band...

Jimmy's bass is really kicking, and even during his solo he knows how to lay back and let it drive the tune... also experimenting with some interesting drawbar settings on the organ.

All in all, I wouldn't call this the bluesiest, grooviest or most swinging Jazz organ album ever made... but just as importantly, it helped to define a genre and establish a vocabulary which so many players would pick up on... and this, my friend, is what makes it a classic amongst classics...