In recent years, I have tried to expand my jazz listening beyond the better known artists like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. Along with newcomers such as Medeski, Martin and Wood and Soulive, I have continued explore what one might call “classic” jazz of the late 50s and early 60s. One of the giants of that era was organist Jimmy Smith. Sometimes, he was billed as the Incredible Jimmy Smith. I don’t know if I’d want to be saddled with such a boastful title, but it is not actually too far from the truth. When I looked through the Epinions database and noticed there were no reviews on perhaps Smith’s best known album, Back at the Chicken Shack, I figured I would try and shed some light on this jazz milestone.

The players:

Jimmy Smith, organ
Stanley Turrentine: tenor sax
Kenny Burrell: guitar
Donald Bailey: drums

The Smith-composed title track opens the album with an infectious organ bass line. The sax doubles the melody. The guitar takes a solo around the four minute mark. The drummer doesn’t get much to do on this record aside from keep the time. Turrentine’s sax fills liven up the snaky riff that Phish thought enough of to cover late in their touring career. The melody in this track will have you humming it long after the album is over.

When I Grow Too Old To Dream starts pretty slow but picks up the pace around the one minute mark. The sax adds some fills that play off the basic riff beautifully. The tempo moves into a different gear behind the fluid sax lines. Turrentine’s passionate blues inflected lines lead into a deft solo by Mr. Incredible. The track winds down to a good flourish at the end.

Minor Chant is a Turrentine composition that was also used on one of his own records. As one might expect, the saxman is given a lot of room to elaborate on his original idea. The liner notes describe this as appropriately named, but I don’t think it sounds like a chant, though it is in a minor key. Smith provides excellent swinging organ leads around halfway through to push along his sideman’s composition.. The drummer, Bailey, gets a brief moment to solo but doesn’t do much with it.

Messy Bessy (another Smith offering) is a good illustration of what makes Smith so good, while soloing with one hand and chording with the other, he is providing a thumping complex bass line with his feet to drive the rhythm. Turrentine shines once again offering some exciting sustained punctuations to his lengthy melodic excursions. This track might have benefited from a little editing as it clocks in at about 12 and a half minutes. The band is cooking so well together here, it is hard to determine what to take out.

On the Sunny Side of the Street is something of a bonus track. It was not on the original album, but was released on a different Smith record in 1981. This old standard is taken to a new level by the blues-inflected playing of all involved, especially Turrentine’s variations on the main theme.

In the End

The terms milestone or classic certainly apply to this record which was made in just one day in the studio, April 25, 1960. According to the liner notes, it was Turrentine’s first appearance on the Blue Note label. After hearing his work here, whoever signed him up was likely smiling from ear to ear.

Smith would go on to collaborate further with both Burrell (who appears on only 3 of the 5 tracks) and Turrentine, but would not often reach the heights found at this session which some critics have deemed “legendary.” The uber-talented Smith combines many influences to offer a fine jazz record which also will appeal to R&B and blues fans.

An essential for any jazz collection. 4 and a half stars, rounded down because I don’t give out five stars very easily.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends