Jimmy Smith was a pioneering jazz organist who played a major role in popularizing the Hammond B three organ in modern jazz. His album Plays Fats Waller was recorded on January 23, 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and released later that year on the Blue Note label. The album functions as a tribute to Fats Waller, one of the most influential figures in early jazz. Waller was best known as a stride pianist, composer, and entertainer, and Smith’s project reinterprets Waller’s piano centered repertoire through the sound and rhythmic approach of a modern jazz organ trio.
The album features Jimmy Smith on Hammond organ, Quentin Warren on guitar, and Donald Bailey on drums. Without a piano in the ensemble, Smith uses the organ to supply melody, harmony, and bass simultaneously. Characteristics of stride piano, particularly strong left hand rhythms and independence between musical layers, are translated into walking bass lines played on the organ pedals. This allows Smith to preserve the rhythmic energy of Waller’s music while adapting it to a contemporary small group format.
Artist(s): Organ – Jimmy Smith
Drums – Donald Bailey
Guitar – Quentin Warren
Recording Info: Recorded on January 23, 1962, at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Producer – Alfred Lion
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Sourced from a Blue Note original pressing
Components used for this transfer: Analog: Transferred using a VPI - HW-40 Anniversary Direct Drive Turntable - Cartridge used Ortofon MC Anna - Merrill Jens Phono Preamp
Digital: Merging Anubis Analog to Digital Converter powered by Teddy Pardo Linear Power Supply, clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Software: Merging Pyramix v15
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components with Shunyata Sigma-X Power Cords.
All components are grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
1 Everybody Loves My Baby 3:46
2 Squeeze Me 5:29
3 Ain't She Sweet 3:34
4 Ain't Misbehavin' 3:41
5 Lulu's Back In Town 5:20
6 Honeysuckle Rose 7:00
7 I've Found A New Baby 6:04

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