Jimmy Smith - Midnight Special (1961)

Fantastic, bluesy, soulful cuts from The Incredible Jimmy Smith and a top-flight band. The album was recorded at the same 1960 session that produced Back at the Chicken Shack on Monday, April 25, 1960. Highly enjoyable - definitely one of Smith's better releases.

Original liner notes by Del Shields

Smith - organ
Kenny Burrell - guitar
Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
Donald Bailey - drums

Reviews/ratings:

• CashBox: "proof positive of Smith's stature as a significant jazz artist."
• DownBeat (★★★): "a relaxed, informal studio session that makes few demands on the listener."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★½

Midnight Special, Part 1 peaked at #69 pop, #13 R&B in 1962

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #28

Tracks: You can't go wrong with any of the five here. Makes a great pairing with the aforementioned Chicken Shack album, for obvious reasons.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
The Best of Jimmy Smith: The Blue Note Years (1988)
Keep On Comin' (1983)
Back At The Chicken Shack (1963)
Houseparty (1958)
The Sermon! (1958)