Underestimate Jimmy Smith at your own peril! Although common, the name is instantly familiar among listeners and purveyors of the Hammond organ. Numerous rock organists, Jon Lord in particular, are quick to cite his influence, and more than one jazz pianist converted to organ thanks to Smith.
However, if you go into an album like Back at the Chicken Shack with expectations that Smith is going to tear up the organ like Keith Emerson (daggers!!) or Jimi Hendrix with a guitar, you will be in for a surprise. The real influence of Smith is not flamboyancy but structure and disposition of the instrument. Where others may dominate the sound, Smith is more than fine to share the leads with guitarist Kenny Burrell and sax-man Stanley Turrentine.
The Hammond largely missed the bop boat and had more of a reputation as a church instrument until mid-century. Even Smith himself was dabbling in piano and Wurlitzer before settling into the Hammond in the 1950's. However, the instrument was quickly gaining acceptance in the nascent rock and roll scene, leading to the branding of Smith and those he influenced as "soul jazz" performers. Before fusion really exploded near the end of the 1960's, soul jazz is many ways represented the early period of jazz and pop/rock mingling and many of its core players would play a role in the fusion scene of the 1970's, some more commercialized than others. In spite of the infatuations with electric piano and synthesizers, the Hammond held its own across genres. The influence of Jimmy Smith carries on.
No comments:
Post a Comment