CiTR

Organ master James Oscar Smith must be considered one of the pioneers of Jazz music as he almost single-handedly brought the Hammond organ into Jazz music. Jimmy Smith wasn't the first one to ever use the instrument in Jazz but he developed a concept on the organ that was copied by just about every practitioner who followed. Smith, after a period of learning the instrument, emerged and began to work around his hometown of Philadelphia. He was heard by Blue Note Record's Alfred Lion and signed to the label. He became Blue Note's biggest seller. This session features the Smith working trio with Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums plus three magnificent horns in the person of tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec, alto saxophone master Jackie McLean and trumpeter Blue Mitchell. Each gets a ballad feature but the bulk of the other selections are great informal jams on various blues in major and minor keys. It's an inspired date and allows us to hear all these great players at their unfettered best. The album is called "Open House" and it has just that feeling of a group of friends gathering for some stimulating conversation and you the listener is invited.