Jimmy Smith - RIP


Thanks for "The Sermon", and many others. You will be missed.
slothman
Don't forget "Back at the Chicken Shack" and "Home Cookin'"...also "Root Down," a rocking live show from the early '70's that is now available on CD. "Angel Eyes" is one of his better recent releases.
When Alfred Lion heard Jimmy for the first time in the late 50s he more or less stated that he wanted to quit his job and be Jimmy's groupy so he could hear him play everyday. My wife's and my first date was a Jimmy Smith gig at the Blue Note in Manhattan in the mid 80s. He, and his ultra-tight group of monsters (Mickey Roker, Kenny Burrell, and Stanley Turrentine) rocked the place off its foundation. He swung so hard the tourists were getting seasick. We were totally hooked, and have seen him whenever possible. It saddens us greatly that this elite musician has been called to meet his maker.
"side mouthin" recorded live at Jimmy Smiths own supper club. I found it by accidentt when a record store was converting to cd.

Playing it is the closest thing to live I have ever played.
Here are a few of my favorites.....

Home Cookin'
Rockin' the Boat
The Sermon!
Cool Blues
Jimmy Smith Jazz Profile

Never used a bassman in any of these records
Like most, I was introduced to jazz through the recordings of Satchmo, Ellington and Miles. But it was Jimmy who really turned me into a junkie. I bought 'Got My Mojo Workin' in early 1965 and that led to 'Bashin', 'Midnight Special' and his BN releases from the mid- and late-fifties. He remained the quintessential jazz organist (Dot Com Blues demonstrated how little his skills had eroded) to the end and other organists such as Jack McDuff, Wild Bill Davis, Larry Young, Billy Preston and Jimmy McGriff owe much of their success to Smith's introduction of the B3 as a lead instrument. Jimmy, like the recent losses of Ray Charles, Barney Kessel, Elvin Jones, Noble Watts and Illinois Jacquet, will be sorely missed. Thank goodness we have so many archival reminders of their brilliance. If you don't have any of Jimmy's recordings get out and buy some today.
Nice little piece on NPR. Here's a link to the audio:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4492790
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