At the Organ Volume 3

Jimmy Smith grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, the son of a pianist who taught music, and he started out on piano himself. In 1953 he heard Wild Bill Davis and moved over to the organ. Two years later he had his own trio. Soon after he reached New York he was playing the Cafe Bohemia, and Alfred Lion signed him. His first two trio records for Blue Note were BLP 1512 and BLP 1514. This was his third.

Leonard Feather, in the original notes, recalls Quincy Jones at the 1956 Newport festival, saying there was no point arguing about where jazz was going, since one new player could change everything, as Charlie Parker had. Feather thought Smith was that kind of player on his instrument.

In other words, Jimmy Smith simply got there first with the most.

Leonard Feather, original liner notes

The dates were Sunday and Monday, June 17 and 18, 1956, at Van Gelder's in Hackensack. The trio was the working band: Thornel Schwartz on guitar, who had played with Freddie Cole and joined Smith in the fall of 1955, and Donald Bailey on drums, a Philadelphian who had never studied the instrument and took his start from Max Roach records. Twelve tunes were taped over the two days; seven made the record.

Side one opens with "Judo Mambo," with organ stops, Latin percussion and a drum solo from Bailey. "Willow Weep for Me" is very slow, with a double-time feel and guitar Feather liked. On "Lover, Come Back to Me" Smith takes a long solo and Schwartz follows.

Side two starts with Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't," where Bailey gets breaks of his own.

Fiddlin' the Minors, a fast riff opus, again shows how effectively Jimmy makes use of minor keys.

Leonard Feather, original liner notes

On "Autumn Leaves" the guitar carries the melody. "I Cover the Waterfront" closes the record, faster than you might expect, with a playful opening.

Not everyone agreed at the time. Nat Hentoff gave it three stars in Down Beat. Later, Steve Leggett at AllMusic, quoted by Wikipedia, called it "one of his most energetic and varied albums." Wikipedia credits the sleeve to Reid Miles, with a Francis Wolff photograph.

"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" came out only on a 45, and three more tunes, among them "My Funny Valentine" and "Slightly Monkish," waited for the 2005 CD. Seven weeks after Hackensack the trio was taped live at Club Baby Grand in Wilmington, Delaware, for the next two Jimmy Smith records.