Master organist Tony Monaco, the Hammond B-3 Burner in Tribute to the Great Jimmy Smith. Jimmy Smith ruled the Hammond organ in the '50s and '60s. He revolutionized the instrument, showing it could be creatively used in a jazz context and popularized in the process. His Blue Note sessions from 1956 to 1963 were extremely influential and many, like 1960's Back at the Chicken Shack and 1958 's The Sermon, are classics. Smith turned the organ into almost an ensemble itself. He played walking bass lines and chordal accompaniment with his left hand, while solos were played with his right hand. A booming, funky presence punctuated every song, particularly the up-tempo cuts. Smith turned the fusion of R&B, blues, and gospel influences with bebop references and devices into a jubilant, attractive sound that many others immediately absorbed before following in his footsteps. Smith initially learned piano both from his parents and on his own. He attended the Hamilton School of Music in 1948, and Ornstein School of Music in 1949 and 1950 in Philadelphia. Smith began playing the Hammond in 1951, and soon earned a great reputation that followed him to New York, where he debuted at the Café Bohemia. A Birdland date and 1957 Newport Jazz Festival appearance launched Smith's career. His Blue Note recordings included both trio recordings and superb collaborations with Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks, Jackie McLean, Ike Quebec, and Stanley Turrentine, among others <b>...</b>
Tony Monaco
Jimmy Smith
Jazz Organ
Hammond Organ
Blue Note
Back at the Chicken Shack
The Sermon
R&B
Birdland
Lee Morgan
Kenny
Burrell
Lou Donaldson
Walk on the Wild Side
Wes Montgomery
