Jimmy Smith on Hip-O

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Interesting regarding the royalties. So Jimmy had a bitter fall out with Blue Note? Obviously he'd return to the label for three more albums: "Go For Whatcha Know" for the "new" Blue Note in '86, and the Japan live sessions licensed to BN from Somethin Else.

Not sure about bitter. Woolf didn't sound bitter on the radio. But it was 7 years later.

MG

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............

thank god you had the BBC on that day, that is VERY useful info

espically the last part--- for lee n horace they had to change the bussiness plan (ie. give them royalties?)--this sunk them so much they were forced to sell to liberty?

According to a Leonard Woolf interview on BBC radio in '69 (about the time he recorded "The flip") Blue Note didn't pay royalties - they paid cash. They paid more cash than their immediate compe titors and also paid for rehearsal time. This was fine for the musicians until they got a hit record. When that happened, the aggrieved musician would turn up at the office and look for royalties. And be told to fuck off.

JOS was the first one this happened to. "Midnight special" and "Chicken Shack" were both big hits; no royalties. So Jimmy went to Verve and recorded "Bashin'", from which "Walk on the wild side" was a big pop hit. But he still had a contract with Blue Note, under which he owed them 4 more LPs.

So, early in 1963, he did four more sessions.

31 Jan 1963 - I'm movin' on (with Grant Green)

1 Feb 1963 - Bucket (Quentin & Donald)

7 Feb 1963 - Rockin the boat (with Lou Donaldson)

8 Feb 1963 - Prayer meetin' (with Stanley Turrentine)

This WAS a big deal for Blue Note, because the last 3 were all hits. I love those four sessions - Jimmy was so relaxed and informal about them.

"Open house" and "Plain talk" were recorded before the "Chicken Shack" session but, like lots of other Blue Note stuff, not released at the time.

Lou Donaldson and Donald Byrd got the same treatment, when they had hit albums. Lou went to Chess, Byrd to MGM. So did Grant Green, whose records were selling well, though not hits. Woolf implied that, when Lee and Horace had hits, they had to change the BN business plan - and this was a contributory factor in the decision to sell to Liberty.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............

thank god you had the BBC on that day, that is VERY useful info

espically the last part--- for lee n horace they had to change the bussiness plan (ie. give them royalties?)--this sunk them so much they were forced to sell to liberty?

I don't think that was the only factor leading to the sale, though that was the one that Francis devoted more time to. A jazz company, in those days, had big cashflow problems when it got a hit, because it would have to deal with a load of firms it never used to need to say hello to - the sixties equivalents of Walmart (Sam Goody's). Those firms didn't give a toss about paying their bills until the company had another hit record that they wanted to put in their stores. But BN would have had to pay for those tens or hundreds of thousands of records and sleeves. I think the firm could cope; ordinarily, Blue Note LPs were pretty profitable and I'm sure they could have factored their bills to ease the cashflow. But when you get the artists coming along, I guess you might say, WTF? And if you were offered a deal where the money problems were taken off your plate, but you retained control of the music, which is what happened with Liberty... And no doubt Liberty paid Alfred and Francis a few bucks as well

MG

[CJ Shearn]

you know MG, I have to disagree with you slightly about JOS' last 4 BN sessions to finish out the contract. "Prayer Meetin'" is the most inspired, whereas "Bucket" is the weakest. Wish I hadn't sold it, but I did. The title track is a cooker, but Jimmy sounds like he's going through the motions on the rest of the album, IMO.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

you know MG, I have to disagree with you slightly about JOS' last 4 BN sessions to finish out the contract. "Prayer Meetin'" is the most inspired, whereas "Bucket" is the weakest. Wish I hadn't sold it, but I did. The title track is a cooker, but Jimmy sounds like he's going through the motions on the rest of the album, IMO.

Ah well. I think "Prayer meeting" is the weakest, lacking Kenny Burrell, really. And I like "Rockin' the boat" best, "Bucket" next. But really, there's little to choose between them as far as I can see. When I'm listening to "I almost lost my mind" I can think that's the best, too.

MG

[CJ Shearn]

Quentin Warren was just kind of there as a foil for Jimmy's flights, to provide him with harmonic support. Quentin, IMO was not in the same league soloing, as was Kenny Burrell or Eddie McFadden but he was capable as "Crazy! Baby" and the Newport '59 gig show. I think Quentin was a better soloist with Jimmy later on, around '64 and '65.

[DMP]

Since I prefer the "groovy" Jimmy Smith to the bop and ballad ("Who Can I Turn To?" Ouch) Jimmy Smith, "Prayer Meetin'" has always been high on my list of favorites. As is "Respect."

[Chuck Nessa]

FWIW, the ultimate reason Alfred sold BN was a couple of heart attacks. Frank was a minor partner and Lion made sure Frank had a job for life with the new owner.

[Kyo]

And on Mercury, there's "It's necessary", recorded live at Jimmy's own club in LA, with Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Blue Mitchell and Ray Crawford. I can't help thinking you'd want that, Chewy.

Wow - how can this not be out on CD yet?! Or am I missing something?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i for no reason i can remember used to not like Prayer meetin', got the original, really love it-- bucket i agree w/ you guys, all the songs sound exactly the same...they are funky, at least--

[CJ Shearn]

it's not on CD Kyo, I have a needle drop I got from somewhere.

[medjuck]

There's some excellent live stuff on Verve; sessions in Hamburg, Paris, Atlanta and LA spring to mind immediately. Of the studio material, two of the best are "Respect" - two small bands with Eric Gale or Thornell Schwartz, Bushnell or Carter, Bernard Purdie or Grady Tate - and "Organ grinder's swing" - a trio with Burrell & Tate. Don't automatically think it's crap because it ain't Blue Note. And on Mercury, there's "It's necessary", recorded live at Jimmy's own club in LA, with Teddy Edwards, Harold Land, Blue Mitchell and Ray Crawford. I can't help thinking you'd want that, Chewy.

MG

Ray Crawford!!! I gotta get that.

i have never even heard a jimmy smith verve record, what is up with those? so there jimmy + oliver nelson big band for like every album?

is this serious!? alas poor aric we knew him well.

simply, have you not cranked the hell out of "Walk on the Wild Side" ?, yes, true it was just a jukebox single that was completely off the mark from the BNs before blah de blah - but Ed Freekin Shaughnessy slowly setting up Jimmy and skittering alongside the tension for one of the greatest organ solos everrr! Make that greatest covers everrr! hitch up the horses!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igXzNaCQwUE

I love the Jimmy Smith Walk on the Wild Side. I once asked Elmer Bernstein if it was his biggest hit. He said it didn't compare to The Magnificent Seven. ( He may have been including his royalties form the Marlborough commercial.)