Happy heavenly birthday, Jimmy Smith, born on this day in 1928

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Happy heavenly birthday, Jimmy Smith, born on this day in 1928

Jimmy Smith: The Architect of Modern Jazz Organ

In the pantheon of jazz giants, few figures transformed an instrument and reshaped the sound of an era as decisively as Jimmy Smith. With his fiery, blues-drenched approach to the Hammond B-3 organ, Smith liberated the instrument from its traditional role in church and theater, catapulting it to the forefront of modern jazz. Between 1956 and 1963, he recorded over 30 albums for Blue Note, creating a new vocabulary for the organ that combined gospel fervor, bebop agility, and deep-swinging blues. This article explores the life, music, and enduring legacy of the man who made the Hammond B-3 roar.

Biography: From Philadelphia to the World

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James Oscar Smith was born on December 8, 1925 (some sources cite 1928), in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and raised in Philadelphia. Music surrounded him from childhood. His father was a weekend entertainer, and both parents were proficient pianists. Jimmy began performing with his father in a song-and-dance act at age six, initially on piano. His early influences were the great stride pianists—Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and Count Basie’s sideman Pete Johnson. These foundational experiences instilled in him a powerful sense of swing and theatrical flair.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, Smith studied string bass and piano at the Hamilton School of Music and Ornstein School of Music. The pivotal moment came in 1953, when he first encountered the Hammond B-3 organ at a Philadelphia music store. Captivated by its orchestral possibilities—the rich, vibrating tones of its drawbars, the percussive attack of its percussion feature, and the visceral growl of its rotating Leslie speaker—he purchased one on installment and spent an entire year in solitary, obsessive practice. He reportedly practiced up to 15 hours a day, developing his revolutionary technique: using his left hand for walking bass lines on the lower manual, his right hand for melodic lines and chords, and his feet for pedaling bass notes and accents. This allowed him to function as an entire rhythm section unto himself.

His professional breakthrough was swift. After early gigs in Philadelphia, he moved to New York in 1955. A legendary 1956 audition at Birdland for Blue Note founder Alfred Lion led to an immediate contract. His debut album, A New Sound… A New Star… Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Vol. 1, sent shockwaves through the jazz world. For the next seven years, Smith was Blue Note’s most prolific artist, defining the “organ trio” format (organ, guitar, drums) with classics like The Sermon! and Back at the Chicken Shack.

In 1963, he signed with Verve in a lucrative deal, expanding his sound with big bands and orchestral arrangements. He became a major concert attraction worldwide, renowned for his energetic, sweat-drenched performances. Smith remained active until his death on February 8, 2005, in Scottsdale, Arizona, leaving behind a transformed musical landscape.

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Music Style and Technical Innovation

Jimmy Smith did not merely play the organ; he re-engineered its place in jazz. His style was a potent synthesis of several key elements:

1. The Gospel and Blues Foundation: The soul of Smith’s playing was the African American church. He transferred the emotional intensity, call-and-response patterns, and rhythmic drive of gospel to the jazz club. His blues sensibility was direct and unadulterated, full of bent notes, shouting chords, and earthy grooves. This gave his music an immediate, visceral appeal that connected with a broad audience.
2. Bebop Language: Smith was a master of bebop harmony and phrasing. He could execute rapid, horn-like lines with astonishing clarity, translating the complex syntax of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to the organ. This intellectual heft elevated the organ from a novelty to a legitimate frontline instrument in modern jazz.
3. Orchestral Concept: Smith approached the B-3 as a self-contained orchestra. His left-hand bass lines were models of propulsive, swinging time. His pedals provided a foundational anchor and dramatic accents. His right hand delivered melody, chordal comping, and searing solos. He masterfully used the drawbars to create a vast palette of tonal colors, from flute-like purity to a full, gritty roar. The Leslie speaker, with its accelerating and decelerating rotors, became an extension of his expression, creating the iconic “swirl” and vibrato that defined his sound.
4. The Organ Trio Format: Smith’s classic trio with guitar and drums was a perfect ecosystem. The guitarist (often Kenny Burrell or Quentin Warren) provided chordal comping and counter-lines, interacting with Smith’s right hand. The drummer (like Donald Bailey or Grady Tate) engaged in dynamic conversation with Smith’s left hand and pedals. This format emphasized groove, space, and intimate, spontaneous interplay.

Improvisational Licks and Vocabulary

Smith’s improvisational language was a blend of blues motifs, bebop sequences, and signature devices:

• Blues Clusters and Shouts: He would punch thick, dissonant chord clusters (using drawbar settings like 88-8000-000) on off-beats for a gospel “shout” effect.
• The “Smear”: A rapid slide up or down the manual, often using the palm, to emulate a blues vocalist’s swoop.
• Bebop Enclosures: He used classic bebop encircling techniques, approaching target notes from a half-step above or below.
• Walking Bass Line Vocabulary: His left-hand lines were not just simple roots and fifths; they incorporated chromatic approaches, scalar runs, and syncopated figures that interacted polyphonically with his right hand. A classic Smith bass line often featured a driving, quarter-note pulse with occasional double-time flourishes.
• Tremolo and Leslie Effects: He used the Leslie’s slow chorale setting for ballad warmth, and the fast tremolo setting to build excitement during solos, often switching speeds mid-phrase for dramatic impact.

Example Lick (over a Bb7 blues):
A typical Smith-style phrase might combine a bluesy opening with a bebop resolution:
Bb7 (Right hand melody over left-hand walking bass)
| F (bluesy bent note) - Eb - D - Db | C (bebop enclosure: B natural-C) - Bb - A - Ab | G (target) |
This mix of the blue third (D) and seventh (Ab) with chromatic movement embodies his hybrid style.

Cooperation with Other Artists

Smith was a collaborator at heart, and his discography is a who’s who of mid-century jazz:

• Guitarists: His partnership with Kenny Burrell was one of the most sympathetic in jazz. Burrell’s warm, bluesy tone and impeccable swing meshed perfectly with Smith’s drive (e.g., Midnight Special, Blue Bash). He also had longstanding collaborations with Quentin Warren and Eddie McFadden.
• Saxophonists: He recorded monumental sessions with tenor titans. Stanley Turrentine brought a huge, soulful sound to albums like Prayer Meetin’ and Midnight Special. His work with Lee Morgan (The Sermon!) and Lou Donaldson (The Sermon!, Midnight Sun) fused hard bop with soul jazz.
• Big Bands and Arrangers: At Verve, he worked with brilliant arrangers like Oliver Nelson (The Dynamic Duo with Wes Montgomery, Bashin’), Lalo Schifrin (The Cat), and Claus Ogerman. These sessions showcased his ability to blaze over complex, roaring ensembles.
• The Ultimate Collaboration: Wes Montgomery. The 1966 albums The Dynamic Duo and Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes are landmark meetings of two epoch-defining virtuosos. Their mutual respect, shared blues foundation, and joyous interplay resulted in some of the most beloved music in the soul-jazz canon.
• Other Organists: He influenced and later recorded with the generation he spawned, including Jimmy McGriff and Joey DeFrancesco, who became a close friend and protégé.

Chord Progressions and Music Harmony

Smith was a harmonic sophisticate who operated within accessible, groove-oriented structures, which he then enriched with bebop alterations and substitute harmonies.

• Blues Foundation: The 12-bar blues was his bedrock. He played it in every tempo and mood, from the slow, greasy blues of “Back at the Chicken Shack” to the uptempo fury of “The Sermon.”
• Standard Song Forms: He had a deep knowledge of the Great American Songbook and applied his style to standards like “My Funny Valentine,” “Begin the Beguine,” and “Mack the Knife,” often re-harmonizing them with passing chords and tritone substitutions.
• Minor and Modal Grooves: Tunes like “The Sermon” (a 16-bar minor blues) and “8 Counts for Rita” demonstrated his mastery of Dorian minor and funky, modal vamps. These grooves allowed for extended, hypnotic improvisation.
• Harmonic Techniques:
  • Parallel Chords: He would run dominant 7th or minor 7th chords in parallel motion, using the organ’s sustaining power to create rich, moving slabs of sound.
  • Tritone Substitution: A staple of bebop, he used this frequently to add chromatic bass movement (e.g., substituting Db7 for G7 in the key of C).
  • Inner Voice Movement: Even in fast lines, his chordal comping would feature smooth, moving inner voices.
  • Drawbars as Harmony: By manipulating drawbars mid-phrase, he could change the harmonic overtone series of a single note, creating the illusion of shifting chords.

Influences and Legacy

Influences: Smith’s primary influences were pianists: the rhythmic power of Count Basie, the harmonic genius of Art Tatum, and the stride technique of Fats Waller. On organ, he admired Wild Bill Davis, who first pioneered the walking bass technique, but Smith radically expanded upon it. The saxophone lines of Charlie Parker and the trumpet of Dizzy Gillespie were direct models for his single-note improvisations.

Legacy: Jimmy Smith’s legacy is immeasurable.

1. He created the modern jazz organ. Every subsequent jazz organist—from Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, and Shirley Scott to Larry Young (who took the instrument into modal/avant-garde realms), to modern masters like Joey DeFrancesco and Cory Henry—stands on his shoulders.
2. He defined Soul Jazz. His Blue Note records of the late 50s and early 60s are the blueprint for the genre: accessible, bluesy, groove-heavy, and sophisticated.
3. He influenced rock and popular music. The sounds of the Hammond B-3 and Leslie became staples in rock (Steve Winwood, Jon Lord of Deep Purple), R&B (Billy Preston), and funk (The J.B.’s) directly because of Smith’s popularization.
4. He proved the organ as a vehicle for serious jazz improvisation, elevating it from a novelty or rhythm instrument to a lead voice capable of breathtaking virtuosity and emotional depth.

Major Works and Most Known Compositions

While a master interpreter, Smith also penned enduring jazz standards:

• “The Sermon”: His magnum opus. A 20-minute-plus minor blues built on a simple, hypnotic riff, it is a masterclass in building tension, group improvisation, and blues ecstasy.
• “Back at the Chicken Shack”: The definitive slow-burn blues groove, featuring Stanley Turrentine’s iconic tenor sax.
• “Midnight Special”: An uptempo blues shuffle that has become a jam session staple.
• “Walk on the Wild Side”: Not the Lou Reed song, but his funky, feline theme for the 1962 film, arranged by Oliver Nelson.
• “8 Counts for Rita”: A funky, modal composition showcasing his compositional flair beyond the blues.
• “The Organ Grinder’s Swing”: A showcase of his stride piano roots transferred to the organ.

Filmography

Smith’s music and persona made natural forays into film:

• The Gene Krupa Story (1959) – Appeared as himself.
• Walk on the Wild Side (1962) – Provided the iconic title track.
• The Cincinnati Kid (1965) – His music is featured on the soundtrack.
• Blues for Lovers (1966) – Starred as himself in a drama about a blind pianist.
• Numerous television appearances on shows like The Tonight Show, and documentaries like Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960).

Selected Discography

The Blue Note Era (1956-1963) – The Foundation:

• A New Sound… A New Star… (1956)
• The Incredible Jimmy Smith at Club Baby Grand (1956)
• At the Organ, Vol. 1 (1957)
• The Sermon! (1958) – Essential
• Home Cookin’ (1959)
• Midnight Special (1960) – Essential
• Back at the Chicken Shack (1960) – Essential
• Prayer Meetin’ (1963)

The Verve Era (1963-1972) – The Expansion:

• Bashin’: The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith (1962) – With big band by Oliver Nelson.
• The Dynamic Duo (1966) with Wes Montgomery – Essential
• Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes (1966)
• The Cat (1964) – Arranged by Lalo Schifrin.
• Got My Mojo Workin’ (1966)
• Respect (1967)

Later Career Highlights:

• Root Down (1972) – A funky, live album famously sampled by The Beastie Boys.
• The Master (1993) – With Joey DeFrancesco.
• Dot Com Blues (2000) – Featuring guest stars like B.B. King and Etta James.

So, who was Jimmy Smith?

Jimmy Smith was a force of nature. He took the Hammond B-3—a complex, furniture-sized machine—and made it sing, shout, swing, and weep with a human voice more compelling than any before or since. He built a bridge from the sanctity of the church to the smoke-filled intensity of the jazz club, and from the intellectual heights of bebop to the visceral pull of the blues. His technique was unparalleled, his groove was irresistible, and his influence is permanent. To listen to Jimmy Smith is to hear the invention of a language, the birth of a genre, and the joyous, unstoppable power of swing. He remains, unequivocally, The Master of the jazz organ.

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Jimmy Smith Septet – Full Concert [HD] | Live at North Sea Jazz Festival 1995

JIMMY SMITH SEPTET – Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival 1995 – Congress Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands

Line-up: Jimmy Smith (org), Mark Whitfield (g), Nicolas Payton (tp), Jimmy Jackson (dr), Ron Blake (s), Christian McBride (b)

Setlist: 1 Organ Grinder Swing 2 Midnight Special 3 It’s Allright with Me 4 The One Before This 5 Water Melon Man 6 The Sermon

James Oscar Smith (December 8, 1928 – February 8, 2005) was an American jazz musician who helped popularize the Hammond B-3 organ, creating a link between jazz and 1960s soul music. In 2005, Smith was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor that America bestows upon jazz musicians. Date & venue: SUNDAY 16 JULY 1995 • JAN STEEN ZAAL • Congress Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands.

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