AMG Review of Jimmy Smith and His Trio

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Jimmy Smith has been a very dominant influence on jazz organists since his arrival on the scene in 1956. This previously unreleased concert appearance by his trio (released on a double-CD in 1996) is a fairly typical Jimmy Smith program from the mid-'60s. Although such songs as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "Goldfinger" and "Walk on the Wild Side" may make this appear to be a commercial set, Smith turns much of the music into either long one-chord vamps or blues. Guitarist Quentin Warren does not get much solo space and drummer Billy Hart plays a supporting role so this is very much Smith's show. He hot dogs it a bit, sometimes holds on to a note for an eternity and continually shows off his technique but Smith also swings up a storm and demonstrates why over three decades later he is still the king of organists.