Johnny Hammond Smith - Open House

[Jim Alfredson]

I pulled this out today to listen to while burning some CDs and remembered just how nice this record is. Seldon Powell on tenor and flute (What's his story? I think this may be the only recording I have with him on it.) and Thad Jones on trumpet. Oh yeah, and Jimmy Smith's guitarist of choice for years Eddie McFadden.

Blues For De-De is an especially fine tune. I think I need to add that one to the organissimo songlist. In fact, all Smith's originals are well-constructed and fun to blow on. The record wasn't recorded by RVG and it has a very interesting sound. I was actually trying to use it to compare my mixes of the organissimo Christmas tunes to something "professional" and put it into a spectral analyzer only to realize that it has some serious phase issues going on. But it still sounds great. I think the phase issues might be due to the organ being split between speakers (highs on the left, lows on the right). The organ sounds really clean and full, though. Good definition in the bass register.

The second session (A Little Taste) on the disc is good too, but the sound is very different. Not as "intimate". I like the quality of the first session better, but the playing on both is first rate. Houston Person and Virgil Jones (playing as good as I've heard him... he seemed to lose some steam in the 70s on Muse) make up the front line. No guitar on this one.

Hammond-Smith is very underrated and has not gotten much attention, especially since his death. It looked like he was going to make a comeback there for a moment, but unfortunately that was not to be. So many of the older masters have passed on.

[Harold_Z]

There's another Johnny Hammond with Seldon Powell on it. Don't know if it ever was reissued on cd (unless this is it - is it live and they kick off with Black Coffee ?).

Seldon was a NYC studio cat. I think maybe out of the big bands before that. He was one of those guys that went from studio to studio all day long 5 days a week, maybe 2 to 4 dates a day. Many many many dates - most of them anonymous. A fine player.

[Jim Alfredson]

Yeah, I have Black Coffee but I don't recall if Powell is on there. I like his playing on "Open House" a lot.

By the way, Johnny Hammond Smith looks a bit like Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons on this cover for some reason:

[mikeweil]

I picked this up at a Zweitausendeins sale earlier this year and like it very much. I think Johnny Hammond Smith took very interesting choices as far as horn player are concerned - where can you hear Thad Jones with organ?

I actually like to hear an organ sound recorded differently from RVG's.

Edited December 12, 2005 by mikeweil

[AllenLowe]

just wondering if any of you are familiar with the recordings Smith made with Sonny WIlliams on trumpet. I knew Sonny years ago in New Haven; a nice, somewhat melancholy, guy, he had given up the instrument, but still used to hang out in the jazz clubs. I always thought he had a nice, lyrical style -

Edited December 12, 2005 by AllenLowe

[mikeweil]

BTW - are this Johnny Hammond Smith and organist Johnny Hammond the same person?

[Jim Alfredson]

  AllenLowe said:

just wondering if any of you are familiar with the recordings Smith made with Sonny WIlliams on trumpet. I knew Sonny years ago in New Haven; a nice, somewhat melancholy, guy, he had given up the instrument, but still used to hang out in the jazz clubs. I always thought he had a nice, lyrical style -

I don't think I do know those recordings. What sessions were they?

  mikeweil said:

BTW - are this Johnny Hammond Smith and organist Johnny Hammond the same person?

Yes and no. I think he might've gone as Johnny Hammond on Kudu, but there is also a blues guitarist named John Hammond (son of the famous record producer) which I have seen go as Johnny Hammond as well.

[AllenLowe]

here's the discographical info for the Sonny Williams session -

MR. WONDERFUL – Riverside RS-9466 (LP)

* BLUES FOR DEDE*

* MR. WONDERFUL

* CYRA

* LAMBERT’S LODGE

* LOVE LETTERS

* BLUES ON A SUNDAY

* DEPARTURE

* OPUS 2

JOHNNY "HAMMOND" SMITH, Hammond organ; SONNY WILLIAMS, trumpet; HOUSTON PERSON, tenor saxophone; EDDIE McFADDEN, guitar; LEO STEVENS or *ART TAYLOR, drums. Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, NYC, 1963. Engineering by Ray Fowler.

[Jim Alfredson]

Ok, I think that's the other session included on the "Black Coffee" re-issue. I'll have to dig that one out and give a listen. I remember it being a fine session. Thanks, Allen.

[Soulstation1]

yes, jim it's on black coffee

http://www.emusic.com/album/10603/10603463.html

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Johnny also had Seldon Powell on "Look out" on New Jazz 8288, the only one of his early LPs that hasn't been reissued on CD.

Johnny often had interesting sidemen. "Talk that talk" has Oliver Nelson; "Gettin' the message" has Lem Winchester. The two LPs are available on PRCD24151; a great pairing. He also had John Abercrombie on "Nasty".

MG

[mikeweil]

  Jim Alfredson said:

  mikeweil said:

BTW - are this Johnny Hammond Smith and organist Johnny Hammond the same person?

Yes and no. I think he might've gone as Johnny Hammond on Kudu, but there is also a blues guitarist named John Hammond (son of the famous record producer) which I have seen go as Johnny Hammond as well.

Since I was curious about the one that recorded for Kudu/CTI, that answers my question. I'm aware of the other one, too.

[Jim Alfredson]

UP because I'm listening to this record again (Open House) and it fuckin' roolz and everyone can kiss Johnny Hammond Smith's ass.

(My Aric/chewey post for this year).

[Soul Stream]

  Jim Alfredson said:

UP because I'm listening to this record again (Open House) and it fuckin' roolz and everyone can kiss Johnny Hammond Smith's ass.

(My Aric/chewey post for this year).

Johnny Hammond Smith is such a badass that doesn't get talked about enough. He had it all!!!!!

[mikeweil]

I'm glad there were/are so many badass B3-ers around ....

[Niko]

  Jim Alfredson said:

The second session (A Little Taste) on the disc is good too, but the sound is very different. Not as "intimate". I like the quality of the first session better, but the playing on both is first rate. Houston Person and Virgil Jones (playing as good as I've heard him... he seemed to lose some steam in the 70s on Muse) make up the front line. No guitar on this one.

am i hearing this wrong or is there actually guitar on this one despite the line-up listing? i am asking mostly out of curiosity whether i am such a bad listener, during nica's dream it appears in numerous places, during the organ solo for instance... is this all organ?

i love this cd, btw

[allblues]

  Soul Stream said:

Johnny Hammond Smith is such a badass that doesn't get talked about enough. He had it all!!!!!

Agreed! Here's a quick and dirty list of the twofers containing the Prestige, Riverside, and New Jazz sessions under his name from 1959-1969:

Black Coffee (Milestone MCD 47072):

November 8, 1962 - Black Coffee (Riverside RLP 442)

1963 - Mr. Wonderful (Riverside RLP 466)

Good 'Nuff (Prestige PRCD 24282-2):

June 12, 1962 - Johnny Hammond Cooks With Gator Tail (Prestige PRLP 7239)

May 7, 1965 - The Stinger (Prestige PR 7408)

Legends Of Acid Jazz (Prestige PRCD 24177-2):

May 19, 1969 - Soul Talk (Prestige PR 7681)

December 22, 1969 - Black Feeling! (Prestige PR 7736)

Legends Of Acid Jazz: Soul Flowers (Prestige PRCD 24235-2):

September 27, 1967 - Soul Flowers (Prestige PR 7549)

January 31, 1968 - Dirty Grape (Prestige PR 7564)

Open House (Milestone MCD 47089):

1963 - Open House! (Riverside RLP 482)

1963 - A Little Taste (Riverside RLP 496)

Opus De Funk (Prestige PRCD 24291-2):

February 14, 1961 - Stimulation (Prestige PRLP 7203), Opus De Funk (Prestige PR 7420)

May 12, 1961 - Stimulation (Prestige PRLP 7203), Opus De Funk (Prestige PR 7420)

The Soulful Blues (Prestige PRCD 24244-2):

March 3, 1967 - Gettin' Up (Prestige PR 7494)

June 18, 1968 - Nasty! (Prestige PR 7588)

Talk That Talk (Prestige PRCD 24151-2):

April 22, 1960 - Talk That Talk (New Jazz NJLP 8241)

October 14, 1960 - Gettin' The Message (Prestige PRLP 7217)

That Good Feelin' (Prestige PRCD 24164-2):

September 11, 1959 - All Soul (New Jazz NJLP 8221)

November 4, 1959 - That Good Feelin' (New Jazz NJLP 8229)