Title: James Oscar Smith
Review: Jimmy Smith was an early Blue Note staple, almost always recording with a trio at first. That's the case here, with Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Smith is among the most playful of jazz artists and two tunes (I COVER THE WATERFRONT and MOSTLY MONKISH) feature this side of Jimmy wonderfully. WATERFRONT sounds like a completely different tune as Jimmy fools around with it, and MONKISH is definitely that, though with Smith playing with tongue very much in cheek. FIDDLIN' THE MINORS finds Jimmy almost on fire as he works his way through the riff tune, and I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE has a solid medium groove going in it. Perhaps it's just my ears but the Hammond organ would gain a warmer less buzzing-bee sound in just a few years after these 1956 recordings were made. Still, they're wonderful early Jimmy Smith trio sides, foundation stones of what would develop into a prestigious career in jazz.
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