28. Jimmy Smith — Back At The Chicken Shack (1960)

Fly style for a chicken shack

1. FINALLY, SOME JAZZ ORGAN. I love me some jazz organ; I always forget about it until it pops back into my life. And it pops back in big time with Back At The Chicken Shack. This is some slick, soulful, groovy electric organ going on here.
2. Jimmy Smith is evidently the progenitor of the jazz organ, pioneering and popularizing the Hammond B-3 sound that I know well from acts like Booker T & The MG’s. It’s a sweet addition to the jazz ensemble, giving a really warm, laid back, funky sound that freshens up a jazz piece.
3. Only four tracks on this album, all grooves averaging nearly 10minutes apiece. I’ve listened to this album a few times already, and I love it. It’s a record you could listen to in the background at a dinner party, put on while you read at night, blast as you take care of chores or yardwork, wake up and ease into the day…it’s a record for all scenarios. I’ll come back to it often.
4. Jimmy’s style on the album cover is pretty slick for a dude posing in front of a chicken coop, but there’s nothing particularly flashy about this album. Each instrumentalist is totally restrained, economical in hitting the right notes at the right time, not one more or less than needed. The album is as playful as its cover.

One Essential Song: (a little silly on an album with four songs…)

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