Photo by Terence Love

Jimmy Smith, the Hammond B-3 icon who creatively revolutionized the instrument in Jazz, died on Tuesday, February 8, at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

"Jimmy was one of the greatest and most innovative musicians of our time. I love the man and I love the music. He was my idol, my mentor and my friend," fellow Hammond B-3 artist and friend" - Joey Defrancesco

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on December 8, 1925, Jimmy Smith ruled the Hammond B-3 organ in the 1950s & 1960s. He turned the instrument into almost an ensemble itself, fusing R&B, blues, and gospel influences with bebop references into a jubilant, attractive sound that many others immediately absorbed before following in his footsteps. Smith initially learned piano both from his parents and on his own. After service in the Navy, in 1948 he studied bass at the Hamilton School of Music and piano at Ornstein¹s School of Music in Philadelphia. He began playing the Hammond organ in 1951, and soon earned a great reputation that followed him to New York, where he debuted at the Café Bohemia. A date at Birdland and then a 1957 Newport Jazz Festival appearance launched Smith¹s career. He toured extensively throughout the 1960s & ‘70s.

Smith's Blue Note sessions from 1956 to 1963 were extremely influential and are highly recommended. They included collaborations with Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks, Jackie McLean, Ike Quebec, and Stanley Turrentine, among others. Smith also recorded for Verve from 1963 to 1972, many of them featuring big bands and using fine arrangements from Oliver Nelson. These included the excellent Walk on the Wild Side.

Jimmy Smith persevered in times when the Hammond organ seemed like it was down and out, and reigned as the master of the craft. The authentic sound of the Hammond still lives on in his protégé and good buddy Joey DeFrancesco.

If you’ve heard Joey play, all I have to say it that he’s coming to town and you’ll be there. Joey has amazing chops and can play bebop, hard-bop, free, soul-jazz and post-bop with precision, depth and swing. Joey was an organ prodigy and started playing the Hammond B3 as a very young child and his father (“Papa” John, also an organist) started taking him to clubs to hear the greats like Jimmy Smith when he was only 7. When he was 10 he got up on stage and played “Rock Candy” with Jack McDuff.

When Joey was only 17 years old, Miles Davis asked him to join his band. Joey toured Europe and recorded two albums for Columbia records with the Miles Davis band. Then Joey’s solo career was launched with his own Columbia record deal. Joey is credited with helping to bring back the Hammond B3 organ as a popular jazz instrument in the 80’s

Joey listened and learned from the B3 masters, especially Jimmy Smith to whom Joey pays homage in his 1999 High Note release, “The Champ”. Joey swings just like Jimmy too and in 2000 recorded the CD “Incredible!” with Jimmy Smith. He also recored a final CD with Jimmy Smith that was released this year.

Hear the Joey DeFracesco Trio pay tribute to the late great Jimmy Smith from May 17th through the 24th at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.