Bashin' - The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith (1962)

Ideated from: the year in music, 1962

Jimmy Smith and his Hammond organ were around a long time and he recorded a lot of music. This one is split starkly between the two sides of the record.

Side 1 is Smith playing with a big band. The economics of recording and touring pushed jazz into small combo territory in the 50s, so by 1962 it was fairly rare to record with a large band, but Verve was apparently willing to foot the bill for Smith.

The flip side is a more standard Jimmy Smith session: an organ / drums / guitar trio, with a laid back and bluesy sound. As with a lot of his trio playing, the other two musicians are mostly there for flavoring, as Smith carries melody, harmony, and structure most of the way through.

Tracks I Liked

Walk On The Wild Side - the best of the big band tracks here

Bashin’ - classic jazz organ workout.