Jimmy Smith//Burning Spear

Jimmy Smith aka The Incredible Jimmy Smith was an expert Hammond B-3 organist from Philly. He played a very unique brand of Jazz that I instantly liked the first time I heard it, which was when I was young, because Smith is yet another Dad pick. He also played with a number of late great musicans. Frank Sinatra? Check. You know that Organ solo in Michael Jackson's "Bad?" Yep, that's Jimmy Smith.

When I was about 15 or 16, Dad took Sean and I to see Smith at The Blue Note. It was probably 1999 or 2000. Smith was already in his 70s. He looked like he was about to keel over and die, and yet, gave an incredibly spry and upbeat performance, even using some of his energy to berate audience members. He died a few years later at age 76.

Also, this is one of my favorite album covers ever.



Burning Spear.mp3

Check out a video of Smith playing live here.