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 Tony Monaco  Joey DeFrancesco - All Or Nothing At All
 Jimmy McGriff - City Lights  Sonny Phillips - Sure 'Nuff  Oscar Marchioni - Croccodile Hammond Grooves  Dr. Lonnie Smith |
Details for album The Sermon by Jimmy Smith Profile
Tracks
Personnel
Where to buy this album
Reviews from Amazon The following reviews are taken from the Amazon website and were written by Amazon customers. I'm a convert I love jazz and blues - there's almost nothing I don't like. Except for the organ. That is, until I connected with Jimmy Smith's The Sermon. I am now a big-time Jimmy Smith fan, and have opened my heart to the joys of the organ as played by others. Except my last will and testament still stipulates that there will be no organ music when I head for the final dance floor. On that day I want saxophones! Jimmy Smith started a new style on organ Before Jimmy Smith, organs were only used for mainly church hymns and a little bit of big band here and there, but jazz on the organ was almost non-existant before Smith with exceptions to Wild Bill Davis and Fats Waller. Jimmy Smith is the first organist to create the standard technique of playing jazz on a Hammond organ that almost every jazz organist builds on today, the way he perfectly emphasived the basslines using the lower manual, and creating the perfect drawbar setting for the percussion to really make the organ the masterful instrument of jazz it ended up turning out to be after Smith developed this style. This is really one of the first recordings of the Hammond B3, which new at the time this was created, and Jimmy took advantage of the new masterpiece to create the smooth, percussive sound of the Hammond that has attracted many fans and followers. Not only has Jimmy mastered the organ, but also is one of the first mainstream artists to make use of, at the time, the controversial leslie speaker, which is a necessity for the Hammond organ in jazz. Back then, the Hammond organ company owner banned dealers from selling leslies and looked down on anyone who condoned or supported the use of these speakers with his organs. Now, we know he was just jealous, and this helped Smith create the ultimated jazz sound, Smith makes perfect use of the leslie and uses it to draw a climax in his songs, which also is a trend that is common in many of today's famous jazz organists. There may only be 3 songs on Smiths 1st album, but these 3 songs are the first songs to be played using this famous and unique combination of the B3, leslie speaker, and bassline technique, which started a new trend that is still followed today in Hammond organists. Just a side note, Smith was so famous in the jazz industry that he was selected to have his own organ solo in the middle of Michael Jacksons number one hit Bad, as well as supplied organ for a more recent Frank Sinatra album from the 80s. Now enough about Smith and more about the songs. The first song is probably Smith's most famous and well known, this is his first song, and a 20 minute jam, it is pretty much the first in its class and this is the first song you will find that features this style of music on the organ, Fats Waller had a few but that was more waltz and swing than jazz. The second song is the initials for James Oscar Smith (J.O.S.), this is a pretty good sounding song, even though it is a little scratchy sounding. I found it emphasizes Smith's organ sound more than the first song, and ends really great with the leslie speeding up, in fact, I think this is the first album where anybody ever heard a leslie speeding up, kind of interesting. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to the last 10 seconds of the song and listen to how the sound goes from smooth and stable to deeper and bouncier. The third song is also pretty good, and kind of in the middle of his first song and second in terms of the organ. I think its worth checking out, even though there aren't many songs, the quality of the songs, length, as well as the history behind them make them worty of their own album Good, but... I finally got around to picking this one up, being a blue-note classic. This is my only Jimmy Smith cd, ordinarilly I could take or leave the organ as a jazz instrument. It's a good listen, definately still in a hard bop vein. I even would have given it at least 4 stars, but for the "buzzing" sound in the second track. In the liner notes it says Smith did this himself to signal the other players. So be it, but I for one find it very annoying. I'm puzzled why it doesn't seem to bother other people. I would think they could have edited out this annoying sound. Not quite rocking the pews Jimmy Smith gets some fairly big names together for "The Sermon". The title track is a very long jam with Lee Morgan, Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks, Kenny Burrell, and Art Blakey. It's a medium-tempo lope. The soloing is pretty good, but I think the song's main sin is that it doesn't build up as it goes on. It stays somewhat flat. The group hits the theme well together at the end, but it's nothing like, say, "Muntu Chant" by Odean Pope on the "Locked & Loaded" CD. That song has you rolling in the aisles and speaking in tongues at the end. "J.O.S." is a faster song, and says just as much in 8 fewer minutes. The lineup is different on each of the three songs, only Jimmy Smith and Lee Morgan play on all three. "Flamingo" is done by the smallest group, a quartet with Burrell and Blakey, and though it isn't great, I like it more than the version of "Flamingo" on Mingus' "Tijuana Moods". If Jimmy Smith could have gotten the title track to build more like a sermon, this would be a 4-star CD, but instead it's a 3-star CD. cathedral of pines this is nice and easy, no fireworks, no stellar solo performances. a lineup of superb players, art blakey, one of my favorite tenor players, george coleman, lee morgan. jimmy smith is muted here, if an organ can be said to be muted, his organ is the wind blowing among the pines. and what a distinctive sound, no organist since has come close to jimmy smith's style. at twenty minutes, the title piece, the sermon, when recorded, i would believe, was the first composition on a jazz recording over twenty minutes. Smith with something to say! On the back cover of this Rudy Van Gelder edition of "The Sermon" is a picture of Smith hammering it out on the organ with energetic emotion written on his face. The epical title track makes it clear Jimmy Smith had a lot to say on this date, a sermon that lasts just over 20 minutes time. This is a bluesy blowing session for the history books on par with another Blue Note release from Smith, 1960's "Back at the Chicken Shack". The legendary Art Blakey keeps his reputably upbeat shuffle beats throughout the tracks he appears on, and Lee Morgan equally gives his all on trumpet. Lou Donaldson and Jimmy Smith formed a solid fit whenever they performed together, because musically they could feel the other's direction and style in a way that is rare musically. The remastering this album received, as is the case with all the albums reissued by Blue Note in the Rudy Van Gelder series, has been remastered at a 24-bit resolution by Van Gelder himself. The sound quality and clarity is perfect on these tracks, and the music is topnotch, to boot! Buy "The Sermon" today. Personnel: Lee Morgan (trumpet) Lou Donaldson, George Coleman (alto saxophone) Tina Brooks (tenor saxophone) Kenny Burrell, Eddie McFadden (guitars) Jimmy Smith (organ) Art Blakey, Donald Bailey (drums) Producer: Alfred Lion Label: Blue Note Dates: August 25, 1957 & February 25, 1958 Remaster: 2000; 24-bit TwoThirds Excellant In my opinion Jimmy Smith is among a handfull of the greatest jazz artists in history. The Sermon presented two gutbucket oldies, my favorites, but one fast-paced arrangement they call fusion and it turns me right off. Two thirds of the album are excellant. Preach On The Sermon by Jimmy Smith is majestic with breathtaking harmony. The originally recording was recorded on vinyl in 1957. The album displays the days past when artist weren't afraid to just play and do what felt good without time constraints. It takes you on a musical wave from the fast moving beats in THE SERMON to THE JOS which melodic to THE FLAMINGO which slow loving tempos. Superb Combo Music I had read a previous review of Jimmy Smith in Esquire and had to get this disc. It is great for sitting around with some friends, drinks, and grooving to the band. The band is very tight, and the disc is over way too soon. I have to get more! Smith Re-Defines Cool on the Hammond B-3 Warhorse The soul of the Hammond B-3 organ (warhorse) will forever be in debt to the hands, feet, and brilliance of Jimmy Smith (December 8, 1925 - February 8, 2005). How smooth is "The Sermon" (recorded in 1958)? You only need two things in order to know the answer to this question. First, I'm going to tell you that Jimmy Smith had a direct influence on the creation of Soul Jazz with the fusion of Gospel, Blues, and R&B riffs when many of his contemporaries were playing be-bop towards the end of the fifties. Second, listen to all twenty minutes and ten seconds of the title number on this album to realize why the Hammond B-3 Organ has quintessentially become synonymous with vintage Jazz, and Rock and Roll since the early 1960's. Many critics agree that Smith had the fastest hands in Jazz; and to understand the talent needed to master the B-3 you should know that Smith is soloing with his right hand, playing chords with his left, pumping bass lines with his left foot, and controlling the volume with his right. The versatility of the B-3 literally meant that it could be played as a one piece band. And when it comes to the Miles Davis of trumpet, the John Coltrane of Saxophone, and Thelonious Monk of piano; Jimmy Smith was the virtuoso on Organ in Jazz. The first keys played by Smith on "The Sermon" are those soul gripping, hip grinding notes that erase all care except for the music that becomes one with your senses. From here on till the end between Smith and Art Blakey on drums, there is never a moment to take a breath. The beat goes for blocks and blocks like a sunny, downtown Chicago afternoon that sees no end. Eventually after Smith redefines cool on the predecessor to the synthesizer, four more members of this incredible track offer their own layers on top of Blakey and Smith's train starting with Kenny Burrell on electric guitar. Tina Brooks plays next on Tenor sax, then Lou Donaldson on Alto, and finally the great Lee Morgan on trumpet. The last two tracks on this album like the first are all improvisational and as smooth as the first. The second track "J.O.S." (11:54) picks up with a quick tempo that holds all the way through. George Coleman on alto sax takes the reigns from Smith, and then hands them off to Lee Morgan on trumpet, who is on fire on this track! At one point Smith starts back up to take over, but Morgan keeps soloing past the signal buzz to stop, and the merits of true improv. take a few rolls without boundaries. The last track "Flamingo" (8:00), drops down a couple beats below "The Sermon" and grooves into the recesses of the night. Lee Morgan again does a phenomenal job on this track as his horn sings beautifully and dances in step with Smith, and Art Blakey. It's a good way to end the session. Organ music, is so damn funky and cool, that you just have to experience it for yourself to get into the groove. "The Sermon" is a good place to start off. Other Smith goodies to begin with in my opinion are "House Party", and "Back at the Chicken Shack". If you like the organ sound and are want to taste something more contemporary. Medeski, Martin, and Wood have brought back the sound on the Hammond A-3, and it cooks like yo' mamma's chicken! Later. Oh Halleluiah The Sermon has arrived There are three sides to this album, the bluesy, the hard core bop, and the ballad side. Jimmy Smith, one of my favorite jazz players, recorded so many jazz albums in his career. This is definitely my favorite. The very first opening statement made by Jimmy Smith on (the track) The Sermon is so smooth. Don't get me wrong, it's not at all a calm feeling you get but a real cool feeling. Jimmy's solos throughout this album are just incredible. Here you have some of the finest artist coming together creating such deep blues vibes. An awesome line up including Lee Morgan, trumpet, George Coleman(not to be mistaken with George Foreman) and Lou Donald on alto, Tina Brooks on tenor, Kenny Burrell and Eddie McFadden on guitar, and Art Blakey and Donald Bailey on drums. The Sermon, being twenty minutes, is definitely a marathon jam session, where every artist lays out what they got and cook and cook some more, and cook so much until its so hot it can't be touched. The way Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith just jam together it creates a sound that is hard not to move to. Lee's solos on here are just cookin'! His solo on The Sermon is just it! Into the nineteenth minute of this twenty minute song they start wrapping it up, when Lee bursts in blowin' like a mofo and starts cookin'hot than ever before. Lou, as the last soloist on The Sermon, adds a little somethin' at the end of his solo that you will just have to hear to be able to find out what it is. Again every soloist on this album are some of the finest swingers in jazz or as some of us like to call them cooks. This is just definitely an essential for any organ lover (or cook). Oh Halleluiah The Sermon has arrived There are three sides to this album, the bluesy, the hard core bop, and the ballad side. Jimmy Smith, one of my favorite jazz players, recorded so many jazz albums in his career. This is definitely my favorite. The very first opening statement made by Jimmy Smith on (the track) The Sermon is so smooth. Don't get me wrong, it's not at all a calm feeling you get but a real cool feeling. Jimmy's solos throughout this album are just incredible. Here you have some of the finest artist coming together creating such deep blues vibes. An awesome line up including Lee Morgan, trumpet, George Coleman(not to be mistaken with George Foreman) and Lou Donald on alto, Tina Brooks on tenor, Kenny Burrell and Eddie McFadden on guitar, and Art Blakey and Donald Bailey on drums. The Sermon, being twenty minutes, is definitely a marathon jam session, where every artist lays out what they got and cook and cook some more, and cook so much until its so hot it can't be touched. The way Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith just jam together it creates a sound that is hard not to move to. Lee's solos on here are just cookin'! His solo on The Sermon is just it! Into the nineteenth minute of this twenty minute song they start wrapping it up, when Lee bursts in blowin' like a mofo and starts cookin'hot than ever before. This is just an essential for any organ lover (or cook). On Any Given Sunday It's Sunday afternoon on the strip, and one club has become the magnet for musicians who today have no other jobs to report to. The B3 player starts it off with a medium-tempo blues in F, soon other guys show up, unpack their horns and take their individual turns on the stand--a guitarist, a tenor player, trumpet man, and an altoist. Scenes such as this were once commonplace, and "The Sermon" above all recalls a time when the music was looser and freer, less organized and protective, more communicative and human. The continuing popularity of Jimmy Smith's "Sermon" is, we can hope, not merely representative of a retro trend but testimony to the enduring power of music played "in the moment" by the combination of capable musicians and the most common of all denominators--the blues. Not that the performances are ordinary (though neither are they extraordinary). Kenny not only solos with economy but shows how to make guitar mesh with organ, Tina keeps it direct while hinting at formidable bebop chops held in reserve, Lee curtails technique and playfully accentuates the beat, Lou finishes up sounding like Cannonball. Meanwhile, Blakey just keeps laying down that unyielding backbeat and Jimmy constructs a solid bass-line foundation while using his right hand to pump the rhythm (often "doo-dot" on the first beat of the measure) and to create harmonic tensions (this blues man loves to raise the 11th of those dominant chords). Jimmy's accomplishment on this track has less to do with his virtuosity (in fact, there's little of it--even the registration bars remain the same, and Leslie effects are minimal) than his supplying the power and energy for the session. It just keeps building and building, mainly because Jimmy never stops coming. And like sermons of the morning variety, this late-Sunday variation is alternately spiritual and sensual, heady and earthy, climaxing in a cartharsis no less inspiring. This is one of my favourites Blue note sessions. On the sermon, well, every solo is perfect, although Tina Brook's solo is just one of the best I've ever heard, he could play the blues no dubt about that. And Lee Morgan on Flamingo, well, lets just say for me, this is the definitive version. On JOS, a fast paced number, you can really hear the magic of these sessions: Jimmy Smiths instructs with his organ that is time for a player to stop his solo, but Lee Morgan just ignores him and keeps going! A memorable moment from a great session. I agree: all tracks from this session should have been packed and sold as "The Sermon", but with the great remaster, you kind of forget about it. Now, go get 'House Party' with the rest of the tracks from this session, another excellent purchase. Worth it Believe the hype. As advertised, Jimmy Smith and company funk out the joint on the Smith originals, "The Sermon" and "J.O.S." But, for me, the cover of the haunting "Flamingo" really anchors the album. Lee Morgan's trumpet in the opening bars is as sweet as it gets (this is some of his earliest recorded work.) Throughout, Smith seems inspired by the new musicians added to his regular crew. Kenny Burrell especially seems to work well with Smith, and Tina Brooks adds a great solo in the title track. The Hammond might be an unconventional instrument on which to build a jazz combo, but the results here are fantastic. The music on this record re-release on cd is timeless and classic. Unfortunately, it is being sold like a record, rather than a cd. There is only forty or so minutes of music on it. See the guy who reviewed "House Party", another classic Jimmy Smith release. Bad for music lovers and only catering to collectors of what sort I do not know, this release of "The Sermon" only contains three tracks. The earlier release by Blue Note was a two-cd compilation (two cds purchased separately, of course) of one classic recording session involving the musicians on the original LP record in addition to the LP, "House Party". The way the two CDS were originally arranged was to release ALL of the recording session in order of the session itself, which doesn't follow the two records, but includes extra material that didn't fit on the records. The complaint is that none of the extra material is now on this version, or anywhere for that matter. What you do get is around forty minutes of classic Jimmy Smith recordings on each cd, rather than about an hour on each. Why is it so? Apparently the powers that be thought it more prudent to release the cds as the LPs originally were released. What about the extra music?! Where does it show up?! As they say at the end of the old Tootsie Pop commercial where the wise owl tries to find how many licks it takes to get to the center, then bites it after just three--"the world may never know". If you purchased one of the original cds, but not both, you'll never know either. Buying "House Party" in addition tho this version of "The Sermon" now only yields a short amount of music on each, which follows the original records with NO extras. Maybe this pleases collectors of stuff. I don't know. It leaves music lovers out in the cold. Too bad. This takes the luster off a good cd and makes unavailable some good recordings. This is a recording one of the great sessions. On the title track, "The Sermon," EVERYONE delivers a perfect solo! Lee Morgan and Kenny Burrell seem like they're grooving along, not even thinking- just playing. The track is 20 minutes long, but it could go on forever with Art Blakey's not-too-heavy drumming and Jimmy's organ voicings comping the solos. "J.O.S." is a bit funkier, minor blues and "Flamingo" is a fine closing number with a few killer Burrell solos. This is a recording that can be listened to over and over again. It works as a Cool background sound for a jazz get-together, yet is rewarding if you listen closely. Check it out. A must have I love this album! I'm new to Jazz and have been collecting the classics for more than a year now. The Sermon is one of my favorite disks because if its title track. The fast pace of "The Sermon" is a pleasure to listen to. The track starts out with a solo by Jommy Smith that sets the standard that the other soloest are forced to follow. I especially liked the solo by Lee Morgan on trumpet. It is incredibly smooth. You will be humming this tune at work with a smile on your face. A must have I love this album! I'm new to Jazz and have been collecting the classics for more than a year now. The Sermon is one of my favorite disks because if its title track. The fast pace of "The Sermon" is a pleasure to listen to. The track starts out with a solo by Jommy Smith that sets the standard that the other soloest are forced to follow. I especially liked the solo by Lee Morgan on trumpet. It is incredibly smooth. You will be humming this tune at work with a smile on your face. Buy this album. For 20 minutes, Jimmy Smith and co. groove like there's no tomorrow. Just like any good sermon it makes you believe it, and pray another day will come so you can hear this disc again. "J.O.S" is a cool tune with lots of nifty, odd tone color gestures from the organ thrown in. "Flamingo" is a beautiful ballad that winds things down nicely. Jimmy's got an all-star cast on hand, but for me Lee Morgan's trumpet work steals it, especially in "Flamingo" where he never runs out of melodic invention. Basically it's 40 minutes of great, locked-into-a-groove improv. led by one of the original jazz masters at the organ. Preaching the Organ Gospel This album...deserves a place in any true music fan's collection. I happpen to have been able to gte a copy of teh original CD reissue that features 5 bonus tracks in place of the one song included on the new remastered edition. The entire album is wonderful, and is probabaly one of the best arguemenets against those who claim soul jazz is uninspired and not up to parr with previously set jazz standards. This is not only a high watermark for Smith&Blue Note, but for the entire jazz genre itself. Smoothest of the smooth I believe it was Gregg Allman who said that if your woman can't feel anything in this album, she has no soul!! Truly a masterpiece!! "The Sermon" Answers Our Prayers "The Sermon" is Jimmy Smith's best album bar none. Restored to the catalog with the RVG series, hopefully this most classic of jazz organ albums will never go out of print again. An amazing array of musicians joins Smith on this session, including Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Lou Donaldson, the under-recognized genius Tina Brooks, Kenny Burrell and Donald Bailey. Buyers should be aware that this RVG version differs drastically from the original CD issue. Gone are the wonderful bonus tracks "S' Wonderful," "Blue Room," "Lover Man," "Confirmation" and "Au Private." Instead, the RVG edition matches the original vinyl sequencing -- the tracks are "The Sermon," "J.O.S." and "Flamingo." The disc is still terrific since the classic title-track, "The Sermon," which clocks in at more than twenty minutes, is one of jazz's great extended compositions, even if it is only a fiery jam session and not an avant-garde flight. Simply because of this song, "The Sermon" deserves a place in any jazz collection, beginner or advanced. The fact that the RVG reissue has cleaned up some of the slight muddiness and low-end organ distortion of the original disc, is all the more reason to buy this fantastic album. With that being said, I'm still holding on to my original CD for those five bonus cuts. Hopefully they will be reissued with improved sound at a later date. A masterful "Sermon"!!! "The Sermon ", the album that established Jimmy Smith as the absolute master of the Hammond B-3 Organ is back in this excellently produced remaster. Boasting a who's who of great jazz musicians including Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Lee Morgan, and Tina Brooks, the group smokes all the way through this album. There's really not much more that can be said that hasn't already been said. It's impossible to overpraise this masterwork of ensemble musicianship. This reissue like all the other excellent Blue Note reissues is produced by Grammy winning producer Michael Cuscuna, and remastered by engineering genius Rudy Van Gelder. A watershed jazz recording and essential part of any jazz collection. Back to top Comments 0 comments, write comment |
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