Customer Reviews

Sounds of Jimmy Smith

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For those who where lucky to get a copy of the Mosaic #154 The Complete February 1957 Jimmy Smith Blue Note Sessions (3CDs or 5 Q-LP) box, this CD is an overlap. But who cares, the sleeve must be in every serious JOS collection. The solo organ works on "All the things you are" and "Zing" are surprisingly modern and display the JOS mastery on controlling both manuals and pedals and modern approach to the tunes. Art Blakey sitting in with an organ trio on a few tracks is probably the only recording ever made with Art with organ (no organists in his official discography). Eddie McFadden on guitar delivers like many of his supporting role with organists. This session is classic for the '56 - '59 period at Blue Note but it's not the highlight from the same period even when you get approx. 20min with bonus tracks from the original LP.

In many regards this is an aptly named CD because Jimmy Smith on about half the tracks is greatly concerned with experimenting with the sounds he can produce on the organ; two of the tracks are solo performances and Jimmy crosses the line into self-indulgency. ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE begins with a long Bachian intro before going into an unrecognizable tune, and on THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU and BLUE MOON he uses a trill effect that is unattractive and even a bit corny. Fortunately, on the rest of the CD he puts aside these sound experiments and plays some highly swinging jazz organ. FIRST NIGHT BLUES is a way up-tempo blues with excellent Art Blakey on drums holding it all together nicely, and CHEROKEE is played by Jimmy with short, biting notes, which is almost hypnotic. SOMEBODY LOVES ME also swings nicely and Jimmy's THE THIRD DAY is a most attractive tune. Eddie McFadden is on guitar and plays well throughout (even on some of the more experimental things). There are other CDs by Smith that I like more than this one, but Jimmy's sincerity can never be doubted.