While sitting in Starbucks last night borrowing some electricity and some wireless, they hit me with this deeply grooving jam–Blues for J–by the master of the Hammond B-3, Jimmy Smith, with Kenny Burrell (g) and Grady Tate (d).
Check it out and if it doesn’t get your toes tappin,’ see your doctor immediately.
I’d never seen a picture of him before. Is it racist to say that I had always assumed he was black? Probably so. I’m guilty.
Jimmy Smith? He was. The MySpace page is for someone else. All three of those guys are/were black.
Once saw Jimmy in Denver in the late 90s – sad to say he stunk up the joint – shame.
I saw Jimmy Smith with Donald Bailey on drums and maybe Kenny Burrell on guitar way back: 1960’s in Chicago. Then I saw him solo in a small club in Buffalo in the 1970’s. An audience member rose and bawled “Play Shweet Adeline!” Jimmy Smith said, “Sir, I don’t do requests. I play jazz!”
Maybe Joe Biden remembers the club, if he’s into jazz. Jimmy had a tremendous LP with title band “The Preacher” recorded in a jazz club in Wilmington Delaware. Now there’s a great jazz performance!
The B3 was a technological marvel. Who thought an electronic organ could produce such warm and soulful tones? It was also the heart and soul of progressive rock throughout the 70s.