Timeless tunes from the stage, screen and the Hammond B3
There is no doubt that Jimmy Smith is the Organmeister of modern jazz, with this double cd set featuring him small clubs on a pair of double albums. 1956’s At Baby Grand is his intro album on Blue Note with his working trio of guitarist Tornel Schwartz and drummer Donald Bailey captured on a trio of sweaty nights. While Schwartz gets some clean and open highway on “Caravan” and a dash of space on a jamming take of “The Preacher”, it’s basically Smith at the helm, and he wails from the pulpit on “Sweet Georgia Brown” and pulls the plugs on “Get Happy”. For the 1958 Live At Smalls recording, he keeps Bailey brings in replacement Eddie McFadden on guitar and throws in soulful bopper Lou Donaldson for a swinging “After Hours” a joyous “Billie’s Bounce” and Smith going bel canto “My Funny Valentine” with the team digging deep on “The Duel”. Get your motor runnin’!
Avid delves into the world of soundtracks, picking three important ones for their introductory course. Leonard Bernstein’s classic West Side Story is presented here with the original Broadway Cast. The heat of the streets is felt on “Prologue” and “Jet Song” while “Maria” and “Somewhere” are gorgeous arias. 1956’s High Society mixes and matches recordings by Louis Armstrong on the swinging title track, Frank Sinatra on the romantic “Mind If I Make Love To You” and a whimsical duet with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly on “True Love”. The team of Rogers and Hammerstein scored big on South Pacific as Rossano Brazzi digs deep on “Some Enchanted Evening”, Nellie Forbush gushes on “Cockeyed Optimist” and the Ken Darby Male Chorus pumps out “Bloody Mary”. There are also a handful of tunes from The King and I with Deborah Kerr in classy form on”Getting To Know You” and “Hello Young Lovers”. This is where standards were born.