Jimmy Smith: Back at the Chicken Shack (Blue Note Classic Vinyl series) [BLUE NOTE]

Why you'll love it

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl series edition puts the album on 180g vinyl, mastered at Cohearant Audio and pressed in Germany. Smith's Hammond groove, Turrentine's warm tenor and Burrell's guitar earned it a place in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

This edition

• Blue Note Classic Vinyl series
• 180g vinyl
• Mastered at Cohearant Audio
• Pressed in Germany
• Stereo mix

About the album

Some sessions are so good the label needs two albums to hold them. Jimmy Smith cut Back at the Chicken Shack in 1960, at the same date that gave us Midnight Special, and Blue Note sat on this half until 1963. Good things, patience, and all that.

Smith leads from the Hammond organ with Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Donald Bailey on drums and Kenny Burrell's guitar on the title track and "Messy Bessie." The title tune is a slow, greasy strut, "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" turns an old standard into a relaxed swinger, and "Minor Chant" gives Turrentine room to stretch out. Alfred Lion produced, Rudy Van Gelder engineered, Reid Miles designed the sleeve and Francis Wolff took the photos, which is the full Blue Note dream team. Ira Gitler wrote the original liner notes.

It's a record that sounds like Friday night in a corner bar, and it has been teaching people what an organ trio can do for six decades. Despite the title, no fried chicken is supplied with this record. We did ask.

Also at Kops: more Jimmy Smith on vinyl · browse Classic Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Blue Note (cat# 3579051), a reissue of the 1963 album.