Jimmy Smith (James Oscar) 1928

Organista, cantante e pianista statunitense (Norristown, Pennsylvania, 8.121928 – Sacramento, California, 8.2.2005). Figlio di un pianista professionista, a nove anni vince un concorso per pianisti dilettanti, si esibisce in duo con il padre e, dopo il servizio militare, studia il contrabbasso alla Hamilton School (1948) e il piano alla Horenstein School di Filadelfia (1949-50).

Esordisce a Newark con Bobby Edwards e Herb Scoot, prima di essere ingaggiato a Filadelfia da Johnny Sparrow e, quindi, da Don Gardner (1951-54). È nella formazione di quest’ultimo che comincia a suonare l’organo elettrico. Presto si esibisce in solo (1954) e in trio.

L’anno successivo esordisce a New York e riscuote un rapido e brillante successo, incidendo diversi album per la Blue Note, accompagnato a musicisti dell’etichetta (Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Stanley Turrentine). Nel 1962 incide, per la Verve, un disco in cui è accompagnato dalla grande orchestra di Oliver Nelson; l’anno seguente è già uno dei principali artisti della etichetta. Comincia a cantare (Got My Mojo Workin’, 1965); si esibisce in Europa, firma e incide la Colonna sonora del film Sotto il tallone (1965).

Durante gli anni ’70 rinuncia alle tournée e si stabilisce in California, dove dirige un club. All’inizio del decennio seguente si riconcilia con concerti e festival ed esegue persino un breve assolo nell’album del cantante Michael Jackson, <<Bad>>. Ha inciso con Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Stanley Turrentine e a suo nome. Tornato negli anni ’90 alla Verve dopo un lungo intervallo alla Milestone, ha continuato a incidere dischi sempre ben accetti dal pubblico, comparendo anche sull’omaggio a Horace Silver registrato da Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Pianista espansivo, amante degli effetti spettacolari (Piano Solo Medley, 1983), Jimmy Smith è in primo luogo il musicista che ha sancito l’entrata dell’organo (e, in particolare, dell’organo Hammond) nel novero degli strumenti jazz. Pur non essendo stato il primo ad utilizzarlo (fu preceduto in effetti da Wild Bill Davis, Milt Buckner, Marlowe Morris), fu comunque l’artefice del trionfo de trio organo-chitarra-batteria. Sopperendo ai limiti della pedaliera suonando le linee dei bassi – quando sono troppo complesse – con la mano sinistra, si impone soprattutto grazie a uno swing, apparentemente senza limiti, e a un brio che mette a frutto tutte le ricette del jazz soul o funky di moda all’epoca: blue notes ripetute con insistenza, tenute a lungo, scale di blues discendenti a tratti rapidi.

Riesce comunque a superare i cliché del genere e a dar prova di grande libertà armonica (Slightly Monkish, 1957, Down By The Riverside, con Wes Montgomery, 1966). Il suo periodo migliore resta senza dubbio il primo e il suo campo d’elezione quello della struttura armonica del blues, spesso in fa o in sol.
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[X. P.]

American organist, singer, and pianist (Norristown, Pennsylvania, 8.121928 - Sacramento, California, 8.2.2005). The son of a professional pianist, at the age of nine, he won a competition for amateur pianists, performed in a duo with his father and, after military service, studied double bass at the Hamilton School (1948) and the piano at the Horenstein School in Philadelphia (1949- 50).

He made his debut in Newark with Bobby Edwards and Herb Scoot, before being hired in Philadelphia by Johnny Sparrow and, then, by Don Gardner (1951-54). It is in the formation of the latter that the electric organ begins to play. Soon he performed in solo (1954) and trio.

The following year he made his debut in New York and enjoyed rapid and brilliant success, recording several albums for Blue Note, accompanied by musicians of the label (Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Stanley Turrentine). In 1962 he recorded a disc for Verve. The excellent orchestra of Oliver Nelson accompanied him; the following year, he is already one of the leading artists of the label. He begins to sing (Got My Mojo Workin', 1965); he performed in Europe, signed and recorded the film “Sotto il Tallone” (1965).

During the 1970s, he gave up touring and settled in California, where he ran a club. At the beginning of the following decade, he reconciled with concerts and festivals and even performed a short solo on singer Michael Jackson's album, <<Bad>>. He has recorded with Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Stanley Turrentine, and on his behalf. Returning to Verve in the 90s after a long break at Milestone, he continued to record records that were always well received by the public, also appearing on the homage to Horace Silver recorded by Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Expansive pianist, lover of spectacular effects (Piano Solo Medley, 1983), Jimmy Smith is primarily the musician who sanctioned the organ's entry (and, in particular, the Hammond organ) into the category of jazz instruments. Although he was not the first to use it (he was preceded by Wild Bill Davis, Milt Buckner, Marlowe Morris), he was nevertheless the architect of the organ-guitar-drums trio's triumph. He was overcoming the pedal board's limits by playing the bass lines - when they are too complicated - with the left hand. It imposes itself above all thanks to a swing, apparently without limits, and a panache that makes use of all the recipes of jazz-soul or fashion funky at the time: blue notes repeated with insistence, held for a long time, blues scales descending at times rapidly.

However, he manages to overcome the clichés of the genre and show great harmonic freedom (Slightly Monkish, 1957, Down By The Riverside, with Wes Montgomery, 1966). Its best period is undoubtedly the first, and its field of choice is that of the blues' harmonic structure, often in F or G.
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[X. P.]