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Jimmy Smith

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Wikimp3 information about the music of Jimmy Smith. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Jimmy Smith. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Jimmy Smith represents Jazz genres.

Biography

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Jimmy Smith wasn't the first organ player in jazz, but no one had a greater influence with the instrument than he did; Smith coaxed a rich, grooving tone from the Hammond B-3, and his sound and style made him a top instrumentalist in the 1950s and '60s, while a number of rock and R&B keyboardists would learn valuable lessons from Smith's example.

James Oscar Smith was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on December 8, 1928 (some sources cite his birth year as 1925). Smith's father was a musician and entertainer, and young Jimmy joined his song-and-dance act when he was six years old. By the time he was 12, Smith was an accomplished stride piano player who won local talent contests, but when his father began having problems with his knee and gave up performing to work as a plasterer, Jimmy quit school after eighth grade and began working odd jobs to help support the family. At 15, Smith joined the Navy, and when he returned home, he attended music school on the GI Bill, studying at the Hamilton School of Music and the Ornstein School, both based in Philadelphia.

In 1951, Smith began playing with several R&B acts in Philadelphia while working with his father during the day, but after hearing pioneering organ player Wild Bill Davis, Smith was inspired to switch instruments. Smith bought a Hammond B-3 organ and set up a practice space in a warehouse where he and his father were working; Smith refined the rudiments of his style over the next year (informed more closely by horn players than other keyboard artists, and employing innovative use of the bass pedals and drawbars), and he began playing Philadelphia clubs in 1955. In early 1956, Smith made his New York debut at the legendary Harlem nightspot Small's Paradise, and Smith was soon spotted by Alfred Lion, who ran the well-respected jazz label Blue Note Records. Lion signed Smith to a record deal, and between popular early albums such as The Incredible Jimmy Smith at Club Baby Grand and The Champ and legendary appearances at New York's Birdland and the Newport Jazz Festival, Smith became the hottest new name in jazz.

A prolific recording artist, Smith recorded more than 30 albums for Blue Note between 1956 and 1963, collaborating with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Stanley Turrentine, and Jackie McLean, and in 1963, Smith signed a new record deal with Verve. Smith's first album for Verve, Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith, was a critical and commercial success, and the track "Walk on the Wild Side" became a minor hit. Smith maintained his busy performing and recording schedule throughout the 1960s, and in 1966 he cut a pair of celebrated album with guitarist Wes Montgomery. In 1972, Smith's contract with Verve expired, and tired of his demanding tour schedule, he and his wife opened a supper club in California's San Fernando Valley. Smith performed regularly at the club, but it went out of business after only a few years. While Smith continued to record regularly for a variety of labels, his days as a star appeared to be over.

However, in the late '80s, Smith began recording for the Milestone label, cutting several well-reviewed albums that reminded jazz fans Smith was still a master at his instrument, as did a number of live performances with fellow organ virtuoso Joey DeFrancesco. In 1987, producer Quincy Jones invited Smith to play on the sessions for Michael Jackson's album Bad. And Smith found a new generation of fans when hip-hop DJs began sampling Smith's funky organ grooves; the Beastie Boys famously used Smith's "Root Down (And Get It)" for their song "Root Down," and other Smith performances became the basis for tracks by Nas, Gang Starr, Kool G Rap, and DJ Shadow.

In 1995, Smith returned to Verve Records for the album Damn!, and on 2001's Dot Com Blues, Smith teamed up with a variety of blues and R&B stars, including Etta James, B.B. King, Keb' Mo', and Dr. John. In 2004, Smith was honored as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts; that same year, Smith relocated from Los Angeles to Scottsdale, Arizona. Several months after settling in Scottsdale, Smith's wife succumbed to cancer, and while he continued to perform and record, Jimmy Smith was found dead in his home less than a year later, on February 8, 2005. His final album, Legacy, was released several months after his passing.

Title: Prime Time

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Getting Sentimental

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Heart In Flames

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: The Champ

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Straight Life

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Blueberry Hill

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Unforgettable

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Rums

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Festive Tones

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Flamingo Mood

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Xmas Angel

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Turnaround

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Mambo Jambo

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Share My Heart

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Hits To The Top

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: Out There

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Cheerful Sleigh Ride

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: Tropicana

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Aurora Borealis

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Compact Jazz

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Very Best

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Forest Walk

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: International Earwig

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Midnight Special

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Into The Countryside

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Live Through This

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Moonshine And Music

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Crazy Baby

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Good Morning

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Sailing

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The One And Only

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Judo Mambo

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Happy Reunion

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: Back To The Roots

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Super Top Hits

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: Nightlife Evergreen

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Coffee Girl

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Sugar Hill

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Best Hit Wonder

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Pop

Title: The Ferris Wheel

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Hottest Ever

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Organ Hits

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Preacher

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Title: Somebody Anybody

Artist: Jimmy Smith

Genre: Jazz

Collections

Title: X-Mas Jazz

Genre:

Title: Jazz Got Soul

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazz Night

Genre: Jazz

Title: Blues Deluxe

Genre: Blues

Title: Soft Jazz X-Mas

Genre: Jazz

Title: Blue Note 75

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazzin' the 50'S

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazzin' the Pop

Genre: Jazz

Title: 100% Big Band

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Rockin' South

Genre: Rock

Title: Mixtape: Funky Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Bossa Nova Blues

Genre: Jazz

Title: Mixtape; Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Pop Jazz Keyboards

Genre: Jazz

Title: Late Night Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazzin' the 70'S

Genre: Jazz

Title: The Latin Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Best of Soul Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazz Beach Club

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazz Got the Blues

Genre: Jazz

Title: Exquisite Blues

Genre: Blues

Title: U.S. Blues

Genre: Blues

Title: Sexy Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazz Goes Pop

Genre: Jazz

Title: Sleazy Jazz

Genre: Jazz

Title: Jazz Got Soul

Genre: Jazz

Featuring albums

Title: Blue Bash

Artist: Kenny Burrell

Genre: Jazz, Bop

Title: Retrospective

Artist: Grant Green

Genre: Jazz

Title: Start It Up

Artist: Hettel Street Blues

Genre: Blues

Title: Milestone Profiles

Artist: McCoy Tyner

Genre: Jazz

Title: Verve/Unmixed 3

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Verve Remixed 3

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Verve Remixed 3

Artist: Verve Remixed

Genre:

Title: Mixtape - Funky Jazz

Artist: Mixtape

Genre: Soul, Jazz, Funk

Title: Verve 60

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: 200 Blues

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Blues

Title: Liquid Jazz

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Top 20 Jazz Organ

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Lounge Vibes

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: 70's Jazz

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Top 50 Latin Jazz

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Title: Most Epic Jazz

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Jazz

Genres