How about a Jimmy Smith RVG twofer?

[Kyo]

While browsing the Blue Note discography for Jimmy Smith recordings

that I didn't have yet I realized that there's an excellent twofer

waiting to happen lying around in the BN vaults. Check this out:

Jimmy Smith Trio

Jimmy Smith (org) Eddie McFadden (g) Donald Bailey (d)

Manhattan Towers, NYC, May 8, 1957

tk.3 I Can't Get Started BLP 1563 04:48

tk.5 The Very Thought Of You - 04:29

tk.6 Autumn In New York - 04:24

tk.10 Somebody Loves Me Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1612 05:40

tk.12 Old Devil Moon BLP 1563 05:42

tk.16 East Of The Sun - 06:06

tk.17 Penthouse Serenade - 05:29

tk.18 Jitterbug Waltz - 04:57

tk.20 The Nearness Of You - 05:44

* Jimmy Smith - Plays Pretty Just For You (Blue Note BLP 1563, BST 81563)

* Jimmy Smith - Cherokee (Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1612)

Jimmy Smith Trio

Jimmy Smith (org) Eddie McFadden (g) Donald Bailey (d)

Manhattan Towers, NYC, July 3, 1957

tk.? They Can't Take That Away From Me rejected

tk.3 What Is This Thing Called Love? Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1612 07:03

tk.? Perdido rejected

tk.5 You Dig It -

tk.6 On The Sunny Side Of The Street Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1612 05:12

tk.8 Laura - 05:40

tk.14 I'm In The Mood For Love - 06:25

tk.15 Things Ain't What They Used To Be - 05:49

tk.16 Cherokee - 04:59

tk.17 Eekin' rejected

* Jimmy Smith - Cherokee (Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1612)

Jimmy Smith Trio

Jimmy Smith (org) Eddie McFadden (g) Donald Bailey (d)

Manhattan Towers, NYC, November 20, 1957

tk.2 Our Love Is Here To Stay Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1615 05:41

tk.4 Lonesome Road - 04:46

tk.5 Margie - 05:51

tk.9 Diane - 06:25

tk.10 Blue Lou - 03:51

tk.11 Taking A Chance On Love - 04:40

tk.12 Danny Boy - 07:24

tk.13 I Want A Little Girl - 05:14

* Jimmy Smith - Lonesome Road (Blue Note (J) TOCJ 1615)

Total playing time for this would be 126:19, easily spread across two CDs.

That would even leave some space to possibly include some of the extra tracks from

the July session. What do you think? I know I'd buy that without thinking twice!

Anyone here with the connections to suggest something like this to Cuscuna?

EDIT: I just sent a message suggesting this and a "Club Baby Grand" Jimmy Smith

Mosaic Select via the Mosaic website. It should reach Cuscuna that way, right?

Edited March 4, 2007 by Kyo

[Rooster_Ties]

EDIT: I just sent a message suggesting this and a "Club Baby Grand" Jimmy Smith

Mosaic Select via the Mosaic website. It should reach Cuscuna that way, right?

In my experience, yes - that's the best way to reach Cuscuna -- at least for those of us in the public at large.

About once every year or two I have e-mailed him (via Mosaic, probably some "info @ mosaicrecords dot com" type address, or something similar), and I have usually gotten personal responses from Michael - though occasionally weeks or even months after my initial message (for various good and valid reasons, I can only assume).

Best of luck!!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i have plays pretty on vinyl- mint A ++ its niiiiiiice. his sound is much better on this than his later records- he has a more old skool hammond sound that really works better.

[Bill B]

EDIT: I just sent a message suggesting this and a "Club Baby Grand" Jimmy Smith

Mosaic Select via the Mosaic website. It should reach Cuscuna that way, right?

In my experience, yes - that's the best way to reach Cuscuna -- at least for those of us in the public at large.

About once every year or two I have e-mailed him (via Mosaic, probably some "info @ mosaicrecords dot com" type address, or something similar), and I have usually gotten personal responses from Michael - though occasionally weeks or even months after my initial message (for various good and valid reasons, I can only assume).

Best of luck!!

With the upcoming release of "Straight Life" its doubtful that anymore Smith will come out in 07. However

the "Baby Grand" sessions are reported to have more material to be issued than originally came out. If you add the "Plays Fats Waller Session" Jan 1962 you have the entire Smith output on Blue Note to be released in US.

[CJ Shearn]

Kyo, that would be an excellent RVG. However I bought TOCJ's of "At the Club Baby Grand" vols 1&2, on half.com, over the weekend, couldn't wait any longer!!!! I think the rejected July 3rd tracks are additional ones where Jimmy plays piano, which I remember hearing on this board sometime. The entire "Cherokee" session was going to be on piano but JOS stuck to the organ instead for the released tracks

Edited March 5, 2007 by CJ Shearn

[Kyo]

With the upcoming release of "Straight Life" its doubtful that anymore Smith will come out in 07. However

the "Baby Grand" sessions are reported to have more material to be issued than originally came out. If you add the "Plays Fats Waller Session" Jan 1962 you have the entire Smith output on Blue Note to be released in US.

I think it's awesome that Straight Life finally sees the light of day and I never thought

there might be more Jimmy Smith coming out this year. But maybe in 2008...

jazzdisco.org lists a plethora of other titles recorded at Club Baby Grand, hardly

any alternate takes. I don't know if those sound good enough to release them,

but it's certainly possible. It doesn't seem like the band were trying to nail any

tunes in particular, leading me to believe that there is no significant drop in

quality from the released tracks to the so far unissued material. But who knows,

even with good performances there might be something wrong with the sound.

Edited March 5, 2007 by Kyo

[Soul Stream]

i have plays pretty on vinyl- mint A ++ its niiiiiiice. his sound is much better on this than his later records- he has a more old skool hammond sound that really works better.

?....I do love his sound on Plays Pretty Just For You. Great record that doesn't really get heard that much. That said....."old school hammond sound that really works better"? I think Crazy Baby, Chicken Shack and Organ Grinder Swing would have something to say about that.

[CJ Shearn]

right on Soul Stream! Kyo, can you show me where you see all these unissued takes from the Baby Grand? I searched jazzdiscog.org and found these, all of which are the issued titles:

Jimmy Smith (org) Thornel Schwartz (g) Donald Bailey (d) Mitch Thomas (ann)

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, afternoon 2nd set, August 4, 1956

Introduction By Mitch Thomas

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 1st set, August 4, 1956

tk.12 Where Or When

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 2nd set, August 4, 1956

tk.20 The Preacher (The New Preacher)

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 3rd set, August 4, 1956

tk.23 Rosetta

tk.25 Sweet Georgia Brown

** also issued on Blue Note BST 81528 (pseudo stereo).

BLP 1529 The Incredible Jimmy Smith At Club Baby Grand, Vol. 2

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, afternoon 2nd set, August 4, 1956

tk.6 It's All Right With Me

tk.9 Caravan

tk.10 Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 3rd set, August 4, 1956

tk.24 Get Happy

** also issued on Blue Note BST 81529 (pseudo stereo).

Edited March 5, 2007 by CJ Shearn

[Kyo]

right on Soul Stream! Kyo, can you show me where you see all these unissued takes from the Baby Grand?

Sure, taken from http://www.jazzdisco.org/bluenote/1955-dis/c/

Jimmy Smith Trio

Jimmy Smith (org) Thornel Schwartz (g) Donald Bailey (d) Mitch Thomas (ann)

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, afternoon 1st set, August 4, 1956

tk.1 Blues Blue Note rejected

tk.2 Indiana -

tk.3 My Old Flame -

tk.4 This Can't Be Love -

tk.5 Where Or When -

Jimmy Smith Trio

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, afternoon 2nd set, August 4, 1956

Introduction By Mitch Thomas Blue Note BLP 1528

tk.6 It's All Right With Me Blue Note BLP 1529

tk.7 I'll Remember April rejected

tk.8 Joy Spring -

tk.9 Caravan Blue Note BLP 1529

tk.10 Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing Blue Note 45-1666, BLP 1529

Jimmy Smith Trio

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 1st set, August 4, 1956

tk.11 Lady Bird rejected

tk.12 Where Or When Blue Note 45-1665, BLP 1528

tk.13 Stella By Starlight rejected

tk.14 Red Sails In The Sunset -

tk.15 Blues -

Jimmy Smith Trio

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 2nd set, August 4, 1956

tk.16 Red Sails In The Sunset rejected

tk.17 Someone To Watch Over Me -

tk.18 A Night In Tunisia -

tk.19 The Nearness Of You -

tk.20 The Preacher (The New Preacher) Blue Note 45-1660, BLP 1528

Jimmy Smith Trio

same personnel

"Club Baby Grand", Wilmington, DE, night 3rd set, August 4, 1956

tk.21 Mitch's Movement rejected

tk.22 Jean Elaine -

tk.23 Rosetta Blue Note BLP 1528

tk.24 Get Happy Blue Note BLP 1529

tk.25 Sweet Georgia Brown Blue Note BLP 1528

* The Incredible Jimmy Smith At Club Baby Grand, Vol. 1 (Blue Note BLP 1528, BST 81528 (pseudo stereo))

* The Incredible Jimmy Smith At Club Baby Grand, Vol. 2 (Blue Note BLP 1529, BST 81529 (pseudo stereo))

I count seventeen "rejected" performances. Since this was a live recording

and not a studio date session it's safe to say that those will rather not be

false starts or incomplete takes - they're probably complete performances.

As for the "not yet on CD" discussion above, there's one more album:

Jimmy Smith Trio + LD hasn't been released outside of Japan yet (if

that, I remember hearing about a Japanese CD but I'm not quite sure).

Edited March 5, 2007 by Kyo

[CJ Shearn]

wow, thanks Kyo! that's a lot of stuff, wouldn't that make it closer to 3 or 4 CD's if there was a "complete" set? "Mitch's Movement"? funny title. Its interesting because quite a few of the rejected takes/unissued were attempted and released on studio albums later. Also makes me wonder how complete the Groovin at Smalls RVG is, which is 13 tracks total. I also wonder if the version of "Tunisia" done at the Baby Grand, is the same arrangement as the Jan 1960 trio version on "Crazy Baby!"

Edited March 5, 2007 by CJ Shearn

[Kyo]

wow, thanks Kyo! that's a lot of stuff, wouldn't that make it closer to 3 or 4 CD's if there was a "complete" set?

Yeah, that's why I suggested to turn this into a Mosaic Select - it might all

just fit onto three discs. And who knows how much of it really IS usable...

[Soul Stream]

O.K...somone needs to get on Michael C's e-mail ass about getting this stuff out!!!!!

[Kyo]

Its interesting because quite a few of the rejected takes/unissued were attempted and released on studio albums later. Also makes me wonder how complete the Groovin at Smalls RVG is, which is 13 tracks total. I also wonder if the version of "Tunisia" done at the Baby Grand, is the same arrangement as the Jan 1960 trio version on "Crazy Baby!"

According to jazzdisco.org there are only three titles from the

Smalls' Paradise session that remain unissued, alternate takes

of Lover Man and Indiana plus one take of Rhapsody In Blue.

[Kyo]

O.K...somone needs to get on Michael C's e-mail ass about getting this stuff out!!!!!

I got a reply from Cuscuna! No alternates from the Club Baby Grand recordings have

survived, the remaining material is scheduled for release as RVGs in early 2009.

He says he likes my idea for the 1957 trio material. "I'll play with it".

[jazzbo]

Good work! Good news about the RVGs. . . .I'd rather have RVGs than any other type of reissue. . . .Especially as great as the organ dates sound.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

OK - I can hang on until 2009 for the Baby Grand reissue - I have 6 of the tracks on a cheapo European CD.

MG

[Shrdlu]

They need to RVG the "Midnight Special"/"Back To The Chicken Shack" session. (I can't see it in the list.) That's still my favorite Jimmy Smith session, especially the "Chicken Shack" album. If you had to encapsulate Jimmy Smith and organ-tenor in one album, that would do it. This music deserves to be available with the best possible sound.

I prefer it to "The Sermon" (now don't kill me!) because, though I love Jimmy's solo on that, and also Kenny's (who comes next), I think the horns go on too long. Trane could play a long solo, but Tina and Lou aren't interesting enough to blow so long. By the time that they play that Walkin' type riff at the end, the momentum has gone.

[CJ Shearn]

ok, so if I have the 2 TOCJ's of the Club Baby Grand material, my guess is that those additional takes have not survived? so is the eventual US RVG just gonna be 8 tracks?

[mikeweil]

Jimmy Smith is not my top favourite organist, but I dig Donald Bailey - he's a very special drummer.

So thanks, Kyo, for getting to Cuscuna with this!

Edited March 31, 2007 by mikeweil

[Kyo]

ok, so if I have the 2 TOCJ's of the Club Baby Grand material, my guess is that those additional takes have not survived? so is the eventual US RVG just gonna be 8 tracks?

That's pretty much what I wrote - those additional tracks have not survived,

only the eight tracks already released will be on the RVGs (probably two discs).

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

What all this implies is that "A date with Jimmy Smith" is NOT going to come out until at least 2010.

obo110x

MG

[Kyo]

What all this implies is that "A date with Jimmy Smith" is NOT going to come out until at least 2010.

What makes you think that?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

What all this implies is that "A date with Jimmy Smith" is NOT going to come out until at least 2010.

What makes you think that?

2007 Straight life

2008 The Japanese trios (+ Pretty 4U)

2009 Baby Grand

2010 A date with JOS?

If it comes out earlier, I'll be pleased.

On second thoughts, I probably won't because I'll have got TOCJs before then.

MG

[Kyo]

2007 Straight life

2008 The Japanese trios (+ Pretty 4U)

2009 Baby Grand

2010 A date with JOS?

If it comes out earlier, I'll be pleased.

I don't know, but I'd say they'll probably reissue the Date material

(seeing how the third disc of that Mosaic set is already out as an RVG)

before something that just barely entered the "potential future project"

phase like the Trio 2CD set I suggested, don't you think?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

What's in the Mosaic set? I think it's:

A date with 1 & 2

Sounds of

At the organ (1551/2) 1 & 2

Sermon

House party

other stuff from those sessions, some of which may be on RVGs. Is that it?

So there's "At the organ" which could be RVGed. My copies are 2005 TOCJs, not JRVGs. I assume the set hasn't been RVGed anywhere.

This really gives three candidates, which migh take three years: your trio suggestion; date; at the organ. Sod's law, because I want it, and haven't got it, date will be last.

Alternatively, sod's law, because I'm going to buy TOCJs because I don't want to wait, it'll be first.

MG