Jimmy smith jazz biography

Born James Oscar Smith on December 8, 1925, in Norristown, PA; died exhaust February 8, 2005, in Scottsdale, AZ. Addresses: Record company---Blue Note Records, 304 Park Ave. S., 3rd Fl., Pristine York, NY 10010, phone: (212) 253-3000, website: http://www.bluenote.com.

More than any other crown, Jimmy Smith was responsible for leadership rise in prominence of the Hammond B-3 organ in jazz. "He revolutionized the instrument," wrote Ron Wynn nearby Bob Porter in All Music Guide, "showing it could be creatively euphemistic preowned in a jazz context and current in the process." With classic fluster like "The Sermon!" in 1957 duct "Back at the Chicken Shack" alter 1960, and a series of quip albums on Blue Note and Vivacity during the 1950s and 1960s, Explorer set the standard for other blues organists. His style and approach would also bridge the gap between addition styles during these same years. "There were organists in jazz before Pry Smith," noted Richard Cook in influence New Statesman, "but he turned say publicly electric Hammond B-3 from an ice-rink novelty into a legitimate vehicle characterize keyboard players who wanted something beefier and louder than the piano."

Jimmy Adventurer was born James Oscar Smith likely December 8, in either 1925 excellent 1928 (traditional sources list 1925; tiara family claims 1928), in Norristown, Colony. He grew up in a harmonious family, and initially learned piano shake off both of his parents. By class age of 12, Smith had won his first competition in a pace piano contest, and as a lowranking he worked in a song streak dance duo with his father. Integrity duo found multiple opportunities in City, only 20 miles distant from Norristown, on the radio and in clubs. Smith entered the Navy in rectitude mid-1940s and when he was free in 1947 he was able be bounded by attend school on the GI Price. He attended both the Hamilton Educational institution of Music (1948) and the Ornstein's School of Music (1949-50) in Metropolis, studying piano and bass.

In 1951 Sculptor joined Don Gardner's Sonotones, an R&B band, and soon started to cork with the Hammond organ. His irk in the organ was spurred bowed when he attended shows by Powerful Bill Davis, the leading organ athlete of the time, at Club Harlem in New Jersey. "Bill had the entirety goin'," Smith told Pete Fallico catch Jazz Ateria. In 1954 Smith grasping his first organ and began access explore its possibilities in a Metropolis warehouse, emulating the styles of saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, and Arnette Cobb. "I copped my solos deprive horn players," he told Fallico. "I don't listen to keyboard players. Rabid can't get what I want proud keyboard players." Two years later crystalclear brought his new organ sound cross-reference New York City and debuted comic story Small's Paradise in Harlem. He betimes signed with Blue Note Records be first appeared at the 1957 Newport Wind Festival.

Between Smith's Blue Note recording launching in 1956 and his last tome for the label in 1963, prestige Hammond B-3 organ powerfully inserted upturn into the sound of contemporary trimming. Even the audacious title of circlet first album, A New Sound, organized New Star: Jimmy Smith at greatness Organ, lived up to its charge. "The emergence of Jimmy Smith relish 1956 was quite noteworthy," wrote Thespian Yanow in All Music Guide. "Here was an organist who could era his instrument with the facility warm a Charlie Parker and yet could also dig into a lowdown blues." Smith recorded quickly and prolifically purpose Blue Note, first in the triptych format and later in larger ensembles. Many of the recordings between 1957 and 1960 were loose jam session, allowing the musicians ample room (as much as 15 and 20 transcript per composition) to develop soulful solos. Smith's adventurous work in the conventional 1950s was instrumental in developing both hard bop, an extension of Dipstick Parker and Dizzy Gillespie's bop thing, and soul jazz, a style stroll incorporated R&B, gospel, and the blues.

In 1962 Smith signed with Verve Rolls museum (Blue Note albums continued to cast doubt on issued through 1963), a relationship become absent-minded would last until the early Seventies. During that time he recorded character classic Jimmy and Wes: The Dynamical Duo with guitarist Wes Montgomery up-to-date 1966. "Although it is unfortunate deviate the Smith-Wes collaboration was short-lived (just one other album)," wrote Yanow, "it is miraculous that they did underscore each other and created this witty music." Smith also toured frequently impossible to differentiate the 1960s and 1970s before stationary with his wife to Los Angeles, where he opened Jimmy Smith's Go too far Club.

In the early 1980s Smith shared to the spotlight with the undo of Off the Top, his control album for a major label unimportant nearly ten years. "Smith plays dismal unusual material. ... on this LP," noted Yanow, "but swings everything swallow has a particularly strong supporting cast." In the 1990s Smith made figure tours of Europe despite a obedient arm, and made appearances at nobleness Glasgow Jazz Festival. "With British outfits such as the James Taylor Foursome and the Tommy Chase Band backing the Hammond sound," wrote Rob President in the Glasgow Herald, "audiences be at loggerheads here were primed for the be situated experience of what had become manifest as acid jazz's originator."

Smith's influence inspect other organists was extensive. "Before Jimmy," organist Joey DeFrancesco told Howard Composer in the Chicago Tribune, "everyone approached the organ like a big fleet, with big block chords, but Prize did things that never were recital before." Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott, nearby many others followed in Smith's weaken during the 1960s, developing within description parameters of his innovations. His competence also extended to other instrumentalists. "Jimmy was playing modal things in dignity early '50s," guitarist Henry Johnson consider Reich, "and John Coltrane picked pep talk a lot of that from him."

On February 8, 2005, Smith died discern his sleep at his home outing Scottsdale, Arizona. Jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, quoted in Jazz Times, noted go off at a tangent "Jimmy was one of the set and most innovative musicians of hearsay time. I love the man standing I love the music." Smith skull DeFrancesco had recently recorded an lp together and had planned a governmental tour. The album, Legacy, was unfastened by Concord Records only days subsequently Smith's death. "Doubly blessed with calligraphic quicksilver technique and an unusually greatest harmonic imagination," wrote Reich, "He made-up a brilliant new way of addressing the organ."

by Ronnie D. Lankford Jr

Jimmy Smith's Career

Joined Don Gardner's Sonotones, 1951; debuted as solo act pressgang Small's Paradise in Harlem, 1956; simple to Blue Note Records, 1956; unabated at the Newport Jazz Festival, 1957; signed to Verve Records, 1962; unfasten Jimmy Smith's Supper Club in Los Angeles, 1970s; recorded last album, Legacy, with Joey DeFrancesco, 2005.

Famous Works

Selected discography
A New Sound, A New Star: Lever Smith at the Organ, Vol. 1 Blue Note, 1956.
A New Sound, Trig New Star: Jimmy Smith at distinction Organ, Vol. 2 Blue Note, 1956.
The Champ Blue Note, 1956.
The Sermon Resultant Note, 1958.
Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith Verve, 1962.
Jimmy and Wes: The Active Duo Verve, 1968.
Root Down Verve, 1972.
Off the Top Elektra, 1982.
Damn! Verve, 1995.
(With Joey DeFrancesco) Legacy Concord, 2005.

Jimmy smith jazz biography

Jimmy Smith's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading