JIMMY SMITH - MONSTER

The sound of the Hammond B3 organ is one of the most recognizable sound in rock, pop and jazz. One of the originators of jazz organ playing is Jimmy Smith. Originally he played piano but switched to electric organ in 1953 after hearing Wild Bill Davis, another pioneer of jazz organ. He bought himself a Hammond organ, rented a warehouse to practice in and after a year emerged with revolutionary sounds and techniques in playing the electric instrument. Soon after he was signed to blue not and made around 40 sessions in eight years. The band setup during his years with Blue Note was a close knit ensemble of musicians mostly a quartet with the Bebop style of playing hanging in the air. After moving to Verve in 1962, the production value changed with big bands supporting the great Mr. Smith

The Hammond organ is known as a church instrument but Jimmy made it popular in the world of jazz and beyond. The Hammond organ is also particularly associated with the amplifier/loudspeaker called the Leslie speaker that produces the fuzzy and wavy sound of the instrument/amplifier combination. In late 50's and early 60's, Modern Jazz found its way to England and was embraced by the R&B loving youths and Jazz clubs of London. Soon after, the Mod movement emerged taking with them the music of Black America - R&B, Modern Jazz and Soul with the spice of Jamaican ska blasting wherever they go. Mr. Smith has embedded his techniques and improvisation in the Mod scene and inspiring musicians to dip their hands into playing the hammond organ in their musical consciousness. His influence can still be heard on many funk and acid jazz records and there are so many bands particularly in England that is sloely dedicated in playing and making music around the fuzzy, edgy and wailing sound of the Hammond B3 Organ.

The Graham Bond Organization, The Quick, The Small Faces, Mick Talbot, The Selecter, The Link Quartet, Leslie Overdrive,The James Taylor Quartet, Trio Valore, Joey DeFrancesco, and us owe Jimmy Smith big time.

(9th studio album for Verve Records 1962)

1. Goldfinger (Part I)
2. Goldfinger (Part II)
3. St. James Infirmary
4. Gloomy Sunday
5. Theme From "Bewitched"
6. Theme From "The Munsters"
7. Theme From "The Man With The Golden Arm"
8. The Creeper
9. Monlope

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