JIMMY SMITH
Milestone Profiles

Milestone

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In the 1950s and 1960s Jimmy Smith rode high as the original and foremost jazz organist, the man who had invented the modern style of jazz organ and who had made the instrument a viable jazz instrument. Spearheading the soul jazz movement, Smith made the instrument the ultimate in late night lounge jam session cool. With the advent of rock, soul, and jazz fusion, soul jazz came to be seen as old fashioned, and a bit hokey. The lounges and clubs that had the the mainstay of the style’s popularity had closed or faded away. Smith still had recording opprotunites, but it was nothing compared his heyday with the Verve and Blue Note labels. Then, in 1981, he started an association with Milestone Records that saw a career revival in the 80s and 90s. A new generation of listeners had discovered the soul jazz recordings, and DJs in Britain were spinning these sought-after recordings in clubs for young kids. The resulting ‘acid jazz’ movement made heroes of musicians like Jimmy Smith.

As these recordings show, Smith didn’t have to change anything about his style in order to be ‘hip’ and ‘modern’ again. The elements which he displayed in his organ work are indeed timeless, and stand as much in the classic jazz pantheon as John Coltrane’s tenor sax or Miles Davis’ trumpet. His bubbling solo on “’Round the Corner” from 1983’s Sum Serious Blues contains both the blues/gospel leanings of Smith’s early work and the more funky, experimental side of John Medeski. Phil Upchurch provides some nice guitar work as well. The title track from that album is also included, a down and dirty blues number that uses a six piece horn section to great advantage. The somewhat unusual combination of trombone, bass trombone, trumpet, baritone sax, tenor sax, and alto sax, is definitely weighted towards the lower end of the listening spectrum, which allows Smith’s upper register solo lines to shine through all the more.

There are live recordings here, of course, and they provide a glimpse into the congenial atmosphere of the jazz organ dive bar that was part of the soul jazz ethos. A 1990 recording from Fat Tuesday’s in NYC contributes “Midnight Special” and “Summertime,” both of which feature Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, and Grady Tate accompanying Smith in blistering live performances. In fact, the whole second half of this CD features this group, which is a particularly well-suited pairing of talents.
Then there’s a 1981 performance with Eddie Harris at San Francisco’s Keystone Corner of the seminal Smith composition, “The Sermon.” Not released until 1996, it’s a wild ride with these two incredibly soulful musicians spurring each other to new heights.

Smith’s recording output for the Milestone label is every bit as good, if not as groundbreaking, as his classic 1960s work. This collection allows a glimpse into the later career of one of jazz music’s pioneers, and it’s a welcome addition to the collected Smith recordings that are available.