Root Down - Jimmy Smith (1972)
Jimmy Smith had already had quite a career in blues-flavored soul jazz by the early 70s, and then the arrival of electric funk as the new center of gravity in jazz gave him a new lease on life.
The band here (including guitarist Arthur Adams, a blues heavyweight and occasional member of R&B band The Crusaders) is a generation younger and much more used to the funk and rock textures than Smith probably was, but Smith had a keen ear and an almost limitless talent for getting his Hammond B3 to do what he wanted. He takes turns leading and coaxing, letting the whole group in on the act as much more than just a backing track.
The centerpieces of the record–the opening Sagg Shootin His Arrow and the famously Beastie-Boys-approved title track–are the two lengthy workouts that give multiple turns to everybody in the band.
Many other tracks, like After Hours, leave Smith in the foreground and driving the track. There’s plenty of his signature organ sound, while offering plenty more on top of it.
