Bashin' - The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith

Bashin'
The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith
Arrangements by Oliver Nelson
Produced by Creed Taylor
Cover and Liner Photographs: Chuck Stewart
Recorded in New York, March 26 & 28, 1962
Recording Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Verve V6-8474

Personnel:

Side One – The Big Band:

Organ - Jimmy Smith
Trumpets - Joe Newman, Doc Severinsen, Joe Wilder and Ernie Royal
Trombones - Tommy Mitchell, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green and Britt Woodman
Saxes - Babe Clarke, Robert Ashton, Gerry Dodgion, Phil Woods and George Barrow
Bass - Barry Duvivier
Guitar - Barry Galbraith
Drums - Ed Shaughnessy

Side Two – The Trio:

Organ - Jimmy Smith
Guitar - Jimmy Warren
Drums - Don Bailey

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the gatefold cover art and jacket notes excerpt.

From the inside cover: The year 1962 will be remembered by most Americans as the year Lt. Colonel John Glenn, the American astronaut, orbited the earth and placed America on the road to closing the gap in the race for space.

Throughout the world, jazz fans will remember 1962, as the year James Oscar Smith, World's Number One Jazz Organist, orbited the field of soulful swinging jazz and gained acceptance and approval of the organ as a legitimate instrument of jazz.

As Colonel Glenn offered the observation, during his press conference, "we have only scratched the surface in exploring outer space" – Jimmy Smith here offers samples of greater things to come.

In his restless drive to challenge the ability of the cumbersome organ to produce the sounds he hears and to reproduce the feelings of his music, Jimmy Smith remains uncompromising. The unlimited number of sounds the organ can produce offers him an infinite number of ways to express his jazz soul

Jimmy Smith has long paid his dues and respect to Thomas "Fats" Waller and to William S. "Wild Bill" Davis, the two figures who brought prominence to the organ as a jazz instrument.

However, Jimmy has not been content to sit in the shadow of their influence. His fantastic technique, his increasing mastery of the instrument, and his ability to improvise has gained for him a high degree of respect from fellow musicians.

Since he burst on the jazz scene some seven years ago, a whole new school of jazz organists has sprung up. The number of pianists who have thrown away their keyboards to rush to the organ shows the astonishing degree of Jimmy Smith influence.

A prominent jazz musician reflecting over the death of Charlie Parker stated, "Charlie Parker could sue every alto saxophonist for plagiarism." If this was so in Bird's case, could not the incredible Jimmy Smith do likewise?

In greatness there is humility. And Jimmy has displayed great humility and patience when approached by other organists seeking to find the answers to the mastery of the instrument. And he has helped them willingly!

Time does not stand still. And Jimmy Smith has been racing time in his desire to speak eloquently, truthfully and powerfully through his organ. No other jazz organist has recorded in so many settings nor with so many top flight jazz musicians. Each setting has revealed a new side of Jimmy as a soloist, accompanist and catalyst.

A review of some of the musicians he has recored with reads like a jazz popularity poll. Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Hank Mobley, Eddie McFadden, Art Blakey, Percy France, Lee Morgan, George Coleman, Tina Brooks, Curtis Fuller, Stanley Turrentine, his present guitarist, Jimmy Warren and his long time drummer, Donald Bailey, have shared recording dates with Jimmy.

Most of he previous recording have been in a trio setting (organ, guitar and drums). Until this album he had never recorded with a bass player. His extraordinary ability to produce varied shadings from the large orchestral sound to a tightly disciplined trio or from the heavy Basie sound to the feathery touch of Miles Davis, is unbelievable.

Jimmy Smith's treatment of a ballad reveals an exacting consciousness of the meaning of the lyrics. He displays the glowing warmth of a passionate musical poet at work as he caresses the ballad tenderly with deep feeling.

Switching to the uptempo numbers, he becomes the artist. He paints his musical canvas with a liberal hue of the blues.

Shaping a musical picture to be heard is only the framework for Jimmy. He fills his picture by making you feel his music – compelling you to absorb his power. You cannot restrain yourself as you respond physically and emotionally to his music. – Del Shields - WDAS FM, Philadelphia, Pa.

From Billboard - May 5, 1962: Jazz organist Jimmy Smith's latest single "Walk On The Wild Side" leads off this LP. The album features Smith backed by a big band for the first time. The ork is arranged for and conducted by Oliver Nelson. There's some potent swinging stuff on this set besides "Wild Side." "Ol Man River" and "In A Millstone" are also top tracks with the big ork. The flip has Smith in his familiar trio groove for more top-flight blowing.

Walk On The Wild Side
Ol' Man River
In A Millstone
Step Right Up
Beggar For The Blues
Bashin
I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande)