Biography
Jimmy Smith ruled the Hammond organ in the ’50s and ’60s. He revolutionized the instrument, showing it could be creatively used in a jazz context and popularized in the process. His Blue Note sessions from 1956 to 1963 were extremely influential and many, like 1960’s Back at the Chicken Shack and 1958 ‘s The Sermon, are classics. Smith turned the organ into almost an ensemble itself. He played walking bass lines and chordal accompaniment with his left hand, while solos were played with his right hand. A booming, funky presence punctuated every song, particularly the up-tempo cuts. Smith turned the fusion of R&B, blues, and gospel influences with bebop references and devices into a jubilant, attractive sound that many others immediately absorbed before following in his footsteps. Smith initially learned piano both from his parents and on his own. He attended the Hamilton School of Music in 1948, and Ornstein School of Music in 1949 and 1950 in Philadelphia. Smith began playing the Hammond in 1951, and soon earned a great reputation that followed him to New York, where he debuted at the Café Bohemia. A Birdland date and 1957 Newport Jazz Festival appearance launched Smith’s career. His Blue Note recordings included both trio recordings and superb collaborations with Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks, Jackie McLean, Ike Quebec, and Stanley Turrentine, among others. Smith scored more hit albums on Verve from 1963 to 1972, many of them featuring big bands and using fine arrangements from Oliver Nelson. These included the excellent Walk on the Wild Side and Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo, a collaboration with guitarist Wes Montgomery. His ’70s output was quite spotty, though Smith didn’t stop touring, visiting Israel and Europe in 1974 and 1975. He and his wife opened a club in Los Angeles in the mid-’70s. Smith resumed touring in the early ’80s and continued wowing audiences around the world. He re-signed with Blue Note in 1985, and has done more representative dates for them and Milestone in the ’90s. After a five-year layoff, Smith returned in early 2001 with the blues projects Fourmost Return and Dot Com Blues. He remained a fixture in both small jazz clubs and large festivals until his untimely passing in February of 2005. ~ Ron Wynn & Bob Porter
Releases
Go For Whatcha Know - Jimmy Smith
One Night With Blue Note Preserved, Vol. 3 - Art Blakey - Stanley Turrentine - Jimmy Smith - Kenny Burrell - Lou Donaldson - Freddie Hubbard - Johnny Griffin - Curtis Fuller - Walter Davis Jr.
Prayer Meetin’ - Jimmy Smith
Rockin’ The Boat - Jimmy Smith
Bucket - Jimmy Smith
I’m Movin’ On - Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith Plays Fats Waller - Jimmy Smith
Straight Life - Jimmy Smith
Back At The Chicken Shack - Jimmy Smith
Midnight Special - Jimmy Smith
Plain Talk - Jimmy Smith
Open House - Jimmy Smith
Crazy! Baby - Jimmy Smith
Six Views Of The Blues - Jimmy Smith
Standards - Jimmy Smith
Home Cookin’ - Jimmy Smith
Cool Blues - Jimmy Smith
Softly As A Summer Breeze - Jimmy Smith
The Sermon! - Jimmy Smith
Groovin’ At Small’s Paradise - Jimmy Smith
Lonesome Road - Jimmy Smith
House Party - Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith Trio + LD - Jimmy Smith - Lou Donaldson
Cherokee - Jimmy Smith
Plays Pretty Just For You - Jimmy Smith
The Sounds Of Jimmy Smith - Jimmy Smith
A Date With Jimmy Smith, Vol. 1 & 2 - Jimmy Smith
The Incredible Jimmy Smith at Club Baby Grand, Vol. 1 - Jimmy Smith
The Incredible Jimmy Smith at Club Baby Grand, Vol. 2 - Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Vol. 3 - Jimmy Smith
A New Sound A New Star: Jimmy Smith at the Organ Vol. 2 - Jimmy Smith
A New Sound A New Star: Jimmy Smith at the Organ Vol. 1 - Jimmy Smith
SPOTLIGHT
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THE INCREDIBLE JIMMY SMITH: BACK AT THE CHICKEN SHACK
When I interviewed Jimmy Smith at his home in Sacramento, Calif., in 1994 for a DownBeat feature, he was quick to expound on the virtues of the Hammond B-3 organ, which he singlehandedly took from relative obscurity (and church) into the jazz forefront, beginning with his 1956 debut A New Sound…A New Star…Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Volume 1. “The Hammond has body,” he said with messianic... read more
News
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CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES 2025 TITLES ANNOUNCED
Blue Note Records has announced the next run of titles in the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which presents all-analog 180g vinyl reissues that are mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal. Curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman, the series continues its exploration of the... read more
CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES 2023-2024 TITLES ANNOUNCED
Blue Note Records has announced the next run of titles in the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which will present 180g all-analog vinyl reissues of some of the most iconic masterpieces of the Blue Note catalog by jazz legends including Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins,... read more
NEW CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES LINE-UP ANNOUNCED
Blue Note has announced the continuation of the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which presents affordable 180g vinyl reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray and manufactured at Optimal. The pressings are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Gray mastering directly from the... read more
PRESENTING THE BLUE NOTE CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES
We're proud to present the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, a continuation of our acclaimed Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series which was launched in celebration of our 80th anniversary in 2019. The Classic Series will once again feature all-analog 180g vinyl pressings in standard packaging that are mastered by... read more
REVISED 2020 RELEASE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR THE TONE POET AUDIOPHILE VINYL REISSUE SERIES
Blue Note Records has announced a revised 2020 release scheduled for the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Pandemic-related closures temporarily put production on hold, but the series will resume again on August 28 with the release of three titles: a first-time vinyl release of vibraphonist Bobby... read more
TONE POET AUDIOPHILE VINYL REISSUE SERIES CONTINUES IN 2020
Blue Note Records has announced the continuation of the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series in 2020. Launched in 2019 in honor of the label’s 80th Anniversary, the Tone Poet series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues that are mastered from the original... read more
APPLE MUSIC LAUNCHES NEW FEATURE “BLUE NOTE: THE 1500 SERIES”
On January 6, 1939, a German Jewish immigrant and passionate Jazz fan named Alfred Lion produced his first recording session in New York City with two Boogie Woogie pianists—Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis—founding what would become the most-respected and longest-running Jazz label in the world. Blue Note... read more
PRESENTING THE BLUE NOTE 80 VINYL REISSUE SERIES
In honor of Blue Note Records’ 80th Anniversary, the legendary Jazz label is launching the Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series. Distinct from the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series, this 2nd series curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman features mid-priced 180g vinyl releases in standard packaging with albums... read more
