Louis Smith - Smithville

[Kyo]

While amazon.com lists three (!) different Japanese CD issues of this album, it still hasn't been

released on CD in the US and Europe. With a lineup like this I find this hard to understand:

Louis Smith (tp) Charlie Rouse (ts) Sonny Clark (p) Paul Chambers (b) Art Taylor (d)

Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 30, 1958

tk.1 Tunesmith (Bakin') Blue Note (J) BNJ 61008/10

tk.8 There Will Never Be Another You Blue Note BLP 1594

tk.11 Au Privave Blue Note (J) BNJ 61008/10

tk.13 Smithville Blue Note 45-1715, BLP 1594

tk.16 Embraceable You Blue Note BLP 1594

tk.17 Later -

tk.18 Wetu -

* Louis Smith - Smithville (Blue Note BLP 1594)

* Various Artists - The Other Side Blue Note 1500 Series (Blue Note (J) BNJ 61008/10)

Of course I could just buy one of the Japanese editions but that would mean

missing out on two additional tracks from the session that weren't on the LP.

Also as a suggestion for Blue Note (anyone know how to contact them these days?

The old customer contact page has been removed from bluenote.com) I think this

album would be a the best place to include the remaining two tracks from the "Young

Men from Memphis - Down Home Reunion" album, the other two of which were

included on the "Booker Little 4 & Max Roach" CD. Both Little and Smith were

featured on those tracks and none of the other guys has a CD on Blue Note or

any of its sub-labels AFAIK.

Here's the session info for that one:

Booker Little, Louis Smith (tp) Frank Strozier (as) George Coleman (ts)

Phineas Newborn Jr. (p) Calvin Newborn (g) George Joyner (b) Charles Crosby (d)

Olmsted Studios, NYC, 1958 or early 1959

Things Ain't What They Used to Be United Artists UAL 4029, Blue Note CDP 7 84457 2

Blue 'n' Boogie -

After Hours United Artists UAL 4029

Star Eyes -

* Young Men from Memphis - Down Home Reunion (United Artists UAL 4029, UAS 5029)

* Booker Little 4 & Max Roach (Blue Note CDP 7 84457 2)

Edited July 22, 2006 by Kyo

[BruceH]

Let me add my humble voice to the groundswell, nay, tsunami, of popular support for the reissue of Smithville. Hey, it's got Rouse and Sonny Clark on it fer godsake, toss it out on the market already!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Contact Michael Cuscuna via the Mosaic Records website (http://www.mosaicrecords.com). Michael does appreciate these e-mails. They help him decide on titles to reissue. If they get a lot of requests, it's more likely to get reissued before a title that no one asks for.

I'll ask him about it next time I talk to them.

Kevin

[Chuck Nessa]

Neither Smith of Little play on the 2 unreissued tracks from the Young Men From Memphis date.

[Kyo]

Neither Smith of Little play on the 2 unreissued tracks from the Young Men From Memphis date.

Oops. Didn't know that, it's hard to find information on that release

and obviously I haven't heard it myself yet. Thanks!

[mikeweil]

IIRC Star Eyes from the Young Men From Memphis LP was a feature for alto saxist Frank Strozier. You will find details on that session in the Frank Strozier Discography.

[Stereojack]

IIRC Star Eyes from the Young Men From Memphis LP was a feature for alto saxist Frank Strozier. You will find details on that session in the Frank Strozier Discography.

Yes, and the fourth track (After Hours) was a piano feature for Phineas without the horns.

[Kyo]

Yes, and the fourth track (After Hours) was a piano feature for Phineas without the horns.

OK, OK, I got it!

I'll just settle for the two additional tracks from the original Smithville session then!

[mikeweil]

I never understood why Cuscuna didn't include all four tracks from that Young Men From Memphis LP as a bonus on the Booker Little - there was enough playing time left on the CD and there is no other complementary material in the EMI vaults. Just because Littlle doesn't play on them ....

Well, there is a Roy Haynes quartet session on Pacific Jazz with Strozier, but the Newborn feature would sound strange in that context.

Edited July 28, 2006 by mikeweil

[Late]

I was reaching for a Jimmy Smith title tonight, and mistakenly grabbed this disc. I probably hadn't listened to this album in 10+ years. Better than I had remembered, particularly the cover of "Embraceable You." The Smith originals aren't especially memorable, but the soloing is fine. And re-experiencing Sonny Clark on Blue Note is always a good thing. (Not one of Reid Miles' most inspired efforts, in my opinion, but I do dig the gig bag — and that Smith is breaking the "No Standing" directive with a smile.)

[Larry Kart]

1 hour ago, Late said:

I was reaching for a Jimmy Smith title tonight, and mistakenly grabbed this disc. I probably hadn't listened to this album in 10+ years. Better than I had remembered, particularly the cover of "Embraceable You." The Smith originals aren't especially memorable, but the soloing is fine. And re-experiencing Sonny Clark on Blue Note is always a good thing. (Not one of Reid Miles' most inspired efforts, in my opinion, but I do dig the gig bag — and that Smith is breaking the "No Standing" directive with a smile.)

Sonny Clark and Paul Chambers on the title track are to die for.

[Brad]

His Blue Note dates were very good.  I have three of his SteepleChase CDs and they’re not bad — The Bopsmith is probably the best. Not as good as the BN sides but worth a listen. 

[Stonewall15]

On ‎7‎/‎28‎/‎2006 at 4:50 AM, Kyo said:

What are the titles of the two additional tracks from the original Smithville session?

 

OK, OK, I got it!

 

I'll just settle for the two additional tracks from the original Smithville session then!

 

[Stonewall15]

The CD I have, which is not Japanese, has 8 tracks. It is Blue Note Connoisseur series 58289, copyright 2008. 

The tracks are: Smithville, Wetu, Embraceable You, There will Never Be Another You, Later 6:25, Au Privave, Bakin' (aka Tunesmith), and There Will Never Be Another You (mono take). 

Smith, Rouse and Clark are marvelous!