Jimmy Smith was a self-taught pianist who abandoned the instrument in 1954 in favour of the Hammond B3 organ, renting a Philadelphia warehouse and woodshedding for a year until he emerged with a revolutionary style that immediately caught the ear of Alfred Lion. The Blue Note boss dubbed him The Incredible Jimmy Smith and recorded the B3 innovator as frequently as he could between 1956 and 1963. It’s a testament to Smith’s volcanic creativity that he recorded not one but two soul jazz classics — Midnight Special and Back at the Chicken Shack — when he entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio on April 25, 1960 with Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Next up in the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition series is a big one from 'the incredible' Jimmy Smith. Upon it's release Back At The Chicken Shack was No.1 on the billboard best-selling jazz chart and appeared in the top 20 of the regular album chart. Featuring material recorded at the same session has his previous Blue Note LP Midnight Special, his record is the better of the two. Showcasing Smith's brand new (at the time) style of funky jazz the pianist shows off every voice the hammond B3 organ has to offer backed up by Kenny Burrell on guitar, Stanley Turrentine on sax and Donald Bailey on drums.

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