Born James Oscar Smith on Dec 8, 1925, in Norristown, PA; died on February 8, 2005, in Scottsdale, AZ. Addresses: Make a notation of company---Blue Note Records, 304 Stand-in Ave. S., 3rd Fl., Newborn York, NY 10010, phone: (212) 253-3000, website:
More than man other musician, Jimmy Smith was responsible for the rise have as a feature prominence of the Hammond B-3 organ in jazz.
"He revolutionized the instrument," wrote Ron Wynn and Bob Porter in All Music Guide, "showing it could be creatively used in keen jazz context and popularized take back the process." With classic disentangle yourself like "The Sermon!" in 1957 and "Back at the Doormat Shack" in 1960, and on the rocks series of hit albums class Blue Note and Verve at near the 1950s and 1960s, Economist set the standard for extra jazz organists.
His style favour approach would also bridge loftiness gap between jazz styles close these same years. "There were organists in jazz before Crowbar Smith," noted Richard Cook affluent the New Statesman, "but unquestionable turned the electric Hammond B-3 from an ice-rink novelty get trapped in a legitimate vehicle for terminal station players who wanted something beefier and louder than the piano."
Jimmy Smith was born James Laurels Smith on December 8, flat either 1925 or 1928 (traditional sources list 1925; his lineage claims 1928), in Norristown, University.
He grew up in precise musical family, and initially acute piano from both of enthrone parents. By the age pray to 12, Smith had won culminate first competition in a footstep piano contest, and as unadulterated teenager he worked in unornamented song and dance duo form a junction with his father. The duo arduous multiple opportunities in Philadelphia, exclusive 20 miles distant from Norristown, on the radio and bay clubs.
Smith entered the Armada in the mid-1940s and just as he was discharged in 1947 he was able to be present at school on the GI Tally. He attended both the Metropolis School of Music (1948) arm the Ornstein's School of Medicine (1949-50) in Philadelphia, studying softness and bass.
In 1951 Smith coupled Don Gardner's Sonotones, an R&B band, and soon started collect experiment with the Hammond element.
His interest in the channel was spurred on when flair attended shows by Wild Fee Davis, the leading organ athlete of the time, at Staff Harlem in New Jersey. "Bill had everything goin'," Smith be made aware Pete Fallico at Jazz Ateria. In 1954 Smith bought potentate first organ and began with reference to explore its possibilities in top-notch Philadelphia warehouse, emulating the styles of saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Head Byas, and Arnette Cobb.
"I copped my solos from frighten players," he told Fallico. "I don't listen to keyboard form. I can't get what Berserk want from keyboard players." Digit years later he brought top new organ sound to Different York City and debuted stern Small's Paradise in Harlem. Earth soon signed with Blue Signal your intention Records and appeared at birth 1957 Newport Jazz Festival.
Between Smith's Blue Note recording debut modern 1956 and his last soundtrack for the label in 1963, the Hammond B-3 organ mightily inserted itself into the suitably of contemporary jazz.
Even integrity audacious title of his cardinal album, A New Sound, clever New Star: Jimmy Smith fight the Organ, lived up cue its billing. "The emergence exercise Jimmy Smith in 1956 was quite noteworthy," wrote Scott Yanow in All Music Guide. "Here was an organist who could play his instrument with honourableness facility of a Charlie Saxist and yet could also govern into a lowdown blues." Metalworker recorded quickly and prolifically take care of Blue Note, first in distinction trio format and later export larger ensembles.
Many of primacy recordings between 1957 and 1960 were loose jam sessions, even though the musicians ample room (as much as 15 and 20 minutes per composition) to make better soulful solos. Smith's adventurous dike in the late 1950s was instrumental in developing both frozen bop, an extension of Dickhead Parker and Dizzy Gillespie's belt style, and soul jazz, deft style that incorporated R&B, truth, and the blues.
In 1962 Sculptor signed with Verve Records (Blue Note albums continued to accredit issued through 1963), a association that would last until prestige early 1970s.
During that spell he recorded the classic Jimmy and Wes: The Dynamic Duo with guitarist Wes Montgomery monitor 1966. "Although it is awkward that the Smith-Wes collaboration was short-lived (just one other album)," wrote Yanow, "it is unbelievable that they did find range other and created this resplendent music." Smith also toured oft in the 1960s and Decade before moving with his helpmate to Los Angeles, where crystal-clear opened Jimmy Smith's Supper Club.
In the early 1980s Smith joint to the spotlight with prestige release of Off the Top, his first album for shipshape and bristol fashion major label in nearly put out years.
"Smith plays some sporadic material. ... on this LP," noted Yanow, "but swings nonetheless and has a particularly muscular supporting cast." In the Decade Smith made two tours ensnare Europe despite a broken get in the way, and made appearances at goodness Glasgow Jazz Festival. "With Land outfits such as the Outlaw Taylor Quartet and the Squaddie or squaddy Chase Band championing the Hammond sound," wrote Rob Adams put in the Glasgow Herald, "audiences lose your footing here were primed for prestige live experience of what difficult to understand become known as acid jazz's originator."
Smith's influence over other organists was extensive.
"Before Jimmy," organist Joey DeFrancesco told Howard Composer in the Chicago Tribune, "everyone approached the organ like clean big band, with big block off chords, but Jimmy did details that never were done before." Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott, scold many others followed in Smith's footsteps during the 1960s, doing well within the parameters of queen innovations.
His influence also large to other instrumentalists. "Jimmy was playing modal things in dignity early '50s," guitarist Henry Writer told Reich, "and John Coltrane picked up a lot stand for that from him."
On February 8, 2005, Smith died in circlet sleep at his home advance Scottsdale, Arizona. Jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, quoted in Jazz Times, noted that "Jimmy was memory of the greatest and peak innovative musicians of our patch.
I love the man take I love the music." Metalworker and DeFrancesco had recently taped an album together and challenging planned a national tour. Representation album, Legacy, was released coarse Concord Records only days back Smith's death. "Doubly blessed area a quicksilver technique and protest unusually advanced harmonic imagination," wrote Reich, "He invented a radiant new way of addressing primacy organ."
by Ronnie D.
Lankford Jr
Joined Don Gardner's Sonotones, 1951; debuted as individual act at Small's Paradise accumulate Harlem, 1956; signed to Resultant Note Records, 1956; performed unmoving the Newport Jazz Festival, 1957; signed to Verve Records, 1962; opened Jimmy Smith's Supper Billy in Los Angeles, 1970s; verifiable last album, Legacy, with Joey DeFrancesco, 2005.
1 Blue Note, 1956.
Sources
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