Retrospective

Retrospective	Covers Covers is the cd that James Taylor fans have been anticipating for years. Recorded live with his full band in a barn in Massachusetts that was transformed into a studio, the album is a treasury of songs he has performed live over the years, but never recorded. It is an American ...	The Complete Blue Note Recordings From the 1947 sessions that lead off this set through to the 1958 live recordings at the Five Spot with John Coltrane, this box set chronicles the development of one of the most unique and creative American musicians. The first CD dates entirely from 1947, and on it we hear a Mon...	Cool Blues	Six Views of the Blues This previously unreleased album was recorded in 1958 at one of 31 sessions that the phenomenal and prolific organist Jimmy Smith participated in during his tenure at Blue Note. Credited with transforming the Hammond B-3 from a novelty item into one of the most popular instrument...
Ultimate Blues Organ Riffs (Book/Audio CD) There is an increased interest in playing the organ these days as many keyboard players are adding organ modules, organs, software etc., to their array of instruments. This book consists of 96 riffs, in many different keys, and covers a wide range of blues organ styles including ...	All I Intended to Be Emmylou Harris has always had a way with woe. On All I Intended To Be, she seems more maudlin than ever as she sings her way through songs about loss, heartbreak, even the odd funeral. Of course, this is the kind of material Harris has always been comfortable with, but as her car...	Groovin' at Smalls' Paradise These recordings from 1957 are among the most momentous to appear in the Rudy Van Gelder series, marking the first American appearance on CD of these early live recordings and adding four previously unreleased tracks. Accompanied by his regular band of guitarist Eddie McFadden an...	Complete Prestige Recordings Thelonious Monk's music is striking as much for its logic and lyricism as it is for its idiosyncrasy and peculiarity. It often recalls the Salvador Dali painting that looks like a murky portrait of the artist's wife from close up, but from a few yards away reveals the clear image...	Walking to New Orleans In an art form characterized from its earliest days by sexually charged imagery, rebellious abandon, a fickle sense of fashion, and often disposable musical fluff, Antoine "Fats" Domino embodied none of the above. Long revered as one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, Domino...

Where it began on the B3 for Jazz and Blues alike
I was reading this month's Down Beat and Jimmy Smith has (finally) made it to the Hall Of Fame. This Retrospective is an excellent place to start for new listeners or for Jimmy Smith fanatics alike. Every cut on the 4 CDs are worthy of inclusion and there are some great ones included for Jazz or Blues fans. I'm listening to my copy right now. I just got finished listening to the "Duel" between Jimmy and Art Blakey, a 10 minute duet between B3 and drums that is alone worth the price of admission. This boxed set includes a nice booklet with a bio of Smith's career and the dates of recording of the songs, etc. This boxed set would make an excellent gift idea or just a great way to add some seminal organ Jazz/Blues to your collection. The people who this would probably appeal to are keyboard afficionados, Jazz history buffs, any Hammond B3 organ fans, and even anyone who enjoys the awesome sound of that classic B3 organ/Leslie speaker combination. After all, you might as well get some inspiration from the source, because Jimmy Smith is the first and most important B3 Organ player from the 50s to the 80s. He is a "god" of the B3 in Jazz.

The Blue Note years
4 CD's remastered by Ron McMaster, with the best of Jimmy Smith at Blue Note records, from his first session up to his very last session in the 80's. Specially worthy are the first 2 CD's including a bunch of material that is out of print, including Jimmy's first albums. I am really happy overall with the track selection, I'd probably change one or two: 'Flamingo' is really a Lee Morgan feature, and the albums 'Cool Blues' and 'Six views of the blues' are not represented here'; but this still is the definitive Jimmy Smith compilation. Booklet includes session details and essay on the tracks that are included here. Pricey, but it is worth your money.