The Hammond B-3 organ wasn't a major instrument in the world of jazz before Jimmy Smith got hold of it. Smith's rich, blues-influenced style, which owed as much to horn players as other keyboard artists, was unique when he rose to fame in the '50s, and he became a favorite with jazz fans as well as the general listening public, scoring a hit single in 1963 with the song "Walk on the Wild Side." Though much of Smith's best known work was recorded for the influential jazz label Blue Note Records, he was signed to Verve Records from 1963 to 1972, and came back to the label in 1995; this volume in the Verve Ultimate Cool series features a dozen selections from Smith's Verve catalog, including "Walk on the Wild Side." This may not be Smith at his very best, but it's certainly representative of his work for Verve, and this is cool, soulful, groove jazz suitable for parties at your swinging bachelor pad, with Smith winding his way through a set of standards ("Satin Doll," "Blues in the Night"), contemporary hits ("Satisfaction," "This Guy's in Love with You"), and tunes of his own ("Stay Loose"). As an introduction to the hip, happening world of Jimmy Smith, Verve Ultimate Cool isn't perfect -- a cross-licensed sampler featuring highlights from his Blue Note and Verve catalogs would be ideal -- but what's here is great music, bold and engaging, and the remastering sounds fine, making this a fun sampler for fans and not a bad way for beginners to get a taste of his work.
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