This Is This

This ain't something else

Weekend Song - Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith had an improvisation vocabularly that would make most soloists reel - this is over three chords and the fire never dies down.

On top of that he’s got great rhythm and a sense of showmanship that comes across in this recording from 1964. I saw him play in a club in Camden a few years back and he had grown men playing “air hammond” without a care in the world.

My dad used to play this all the time when I was a kid, his most famous recording “Got My Mojo Workin’” is a great tune but this tops even that.

I feel like Humphrey Littleton now. A national treasure, by the way, Humph.

I’ve had a great week and here’s how I feel by the end of it.

Listen: The Cat 


Related page
Weekend Song archive

6 Responses to “Weekend Song - Jimmy Smith”

  1. chairwoman Says:

    Fantastic choice, Cliff. Nobody could make a Hammond M40 sound quite like Jimmy Smith, although, IMO, Jimmy McGriff came a close second. May I recommend a listen to his ‘All About My Girl’, if you can find a link.

  2. Cliff Says:

    Chairwoman - Jimmy McGriff was excellent! People get them confused. Both from Philadelphia as well, and both played in the 60’s. Now I really feel like Humph.

  3. FB Says:

    ooo, that was nice!

  4. FB Says:

    nice is the wrong word, what I meant to say of course, was groovy. Is groovy allowed?

  5. Mrs. Leemer Says:

    Nice!

  6. Cliff Says:

    I know. Thanks all - it’s good to get feedback about the Saturday song.

    I put a lot of thought to what goes up here, so hearing back is always nice. I mean groovy.

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