Search - Johnnie Hammond Smith :: Legends of Acid Jazz

The Funky Side of JHS

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 07/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnny Hammond Smith had so many sides to his playing.This appropriately titled "legend of acid Jazz" CD, shows his funky and soulful side.Its kind of funny though, because while Groove Holmes was THE B-3 funkster in the era this CD encompasses, most of Groove Holmes super groove funk wasn't recorded on that label, so instead they have mostly his groove tempo swing stuff on his "legend of acid Jazz" release. - - If you'd never heard Groove's other stuff, and Johnny's other stuff, based on these two CDs, Johnny would get the KO.Of course I'm not writing this review to compare the two... but in many ways they were similar. Both took B3 playing to new levels, and both could get nasty and funky, play the blues, do ballads, and rip out bop style solos when they had to, and both at times had to endure bass players (as evident on this album, but still its good music, don't let it dissuade you.)Listen to this album to hear the funkier side of JHS, however, you'll still hear those greasy gritty chords, the slick licks. Also note how at times you can hear him kind of sounding like other organists. (Prestige seemed to have a "sound" in the early '70s, and every other organist who wound up with them got the bug... THIS MAN IS IN LOVE WITH YOU has a heavy Charles Earland vibe, for example.)If you dig the funky side of this LP, check out Leon Spencer (Legends of Acid Jazz), Charles Kynard, and also Reuben Wilson. For some roots go for Wild Bill Davis."