1. Sonnymoon For Two
2. Days of Wine and Roses
3. The Sermon
4. Alfie
5. Satin Doll
6. Organ Grinder's Swing
7. Got My Mojo Working
8. See See Rider
9. A Funky Blues Called I Don't Know
10. My Romance
11. Satin Doll
Jimmy Smith - Hammond organ
Eddie McFadden - Guitar
Charlie Crosby - Drums
Whenever there is a television programme about Charlie Parker, it
always seems to include a brief bit of film footage showing him playing
alongside Dizzy Gillespie. This seems to be virtually the only film
of Parker available. Sadly, it is not unusual for the great jazz musicians
never to have been adequately filmed for posterity.
So the Jazz Icons series of DVDs is doing us a service by digging
out neglected film and TV footage of jazz greats. Their latest bundle
of releases includes such jazz icons as Anita O'Day, Erroll Garner,
Coleman Hawkins, Art Blakey - and Jimmy Smith. This Jimmy Smith DVD
was filmed in December 1969 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. It consists
of two separate sets transmitted as separate TV shows, so that credit
titles appear during track 5 as well as track 11!
One advantage of a DVD over a CD is that a DVD lets you see as well
as hear what the musicians are doing. This is particularly valuable
in the case of a musician like Jimmy Smith, as his amazing dexterity
means that, without seeing it, you may not understand how he plays
with such agility. It is also useful to students of jazz who can see,
for example, how drummer Charlie Crosby often plays the ride cymbal
by bouncing the stick instead of hitting two separate notes. We can
also watch Jimmy Smith's technique of doubling the bass by using not
only his left foot on the pedals but his left hand on the organ's
lower manual. One is grateful that the cameramen seldom resorted to
the kind of gimmicks that make too many modern videos virtually unwatchable.
The DVD includes many of Jimmy Smith's best-known tunes, such as
Muddy Waters' Got My Mojo Working (which steered Jimmy into
the British pop charts in 1966, complete with his vocals) and The
Sermon (which lasts for an astonishing 23 minutes). These tunes
indicate Smith's grounding in the blues which, with gospel influences,
gives his playing much of its potency. But he also has a more tender
side, exemplified by Alfie and My Romance. The latter
treats the tune with a spirit of adventure manifest in some unusual
chords.
He starts several tunes with long unaccompanied introductions, seemingly
searching the keyboard (rather like Erroll Garner) and concealing
which tune he is working towards. For instance, this happens at the
start of A Funky Blues Called I Don't Know which eventually
grooves along to a jazz-rock beat.
Bob Porter's section of the extensive sleeve-notes suggests that
Jimmy favoured guitarists like Eddie McFadden who "tended to
be chosen for their accompanying skills - none was an outstanding
soloist". Yet McFadden plays some interesting guitar solos which
the leader clearly enjoys. Ashley Kahn supplies a more comprehensive
set of sleeve-notes, and the accompanying 24-page booklet is a welcome
bonus, with some good illustrations.
Both sections of the concert end with Satin Doll, which Smith
obviously relishes, ending the first take in church organ style. The
film is in black-and-white but I was so intrigued by the playing that
I only noticed this towards the end of the disc! This DVD shows why
Jimmy Smith is still regarded as the ideal which other organists will
seek to emulate.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Jazz Icons by Naxos 2.119018
