I had taken organ lessons from age 9, but when I heard my first Jimmy Smith record I realized that the instrument was SO much different than I had imagined! He changed my life and I still have a Hammond B-3 in my man-cave, 50 years later. Greatest instrument ever made and its greatest player.
Not long before Jimmy died I went to see him (again) at the Jazz Cafe in London. I was standing right at the front to watch his footwork. The stage was only about 2 feet high. After the first number, as the applause faded he looked down on me and said to me and my partner, who was treating me for my birthday, "Hey, you two little kids? " I looked around and indeed, the crowd behind us all seemed giants. I'm only 5 5 and gf 5 3. Quick as a flash I said, "Jimmy, I first saw you play the Hammond in 1966. I'm no kid. Thanks for the compliment." He grunted. "Where was that gig?" "Birmingham Town hall." " Bad sound." he said. Indeed, the guitar was miced through the pa. It was all out of balance. He remembered it too!.
Maybe the same gig I saw with Jim Mullen and Martin Drew? They were under rehearsed but it was still great to see him live. The Organ Grinder's Swing is his best album for me.
@@LordAmbrosia1 I saw him play Cambridge Corn Exchange. So it must have been around that time too and he had his arm in a sling then also. (His left arm I think it was).
At a musical instrument industry show (NAMM) in Chicago in the mid-80s, I was among a cluster of fellow mid-20s keyboard players watching Jimmy demonstrate some German electric keyboard. He noticed us and when done playing he walked over and with a big smile shook hands with each of us. We were speechless. Still beaming he said, “So YOU’re the guys who’ve been stealing my licks!” We all laughed.
Great to see this back up on YT - but the original version was even longer - and included footage of Jimmy at home, listening to The Stones Satisfaction in his managers office - before recording it.. would love to see the entire thing again.. James Oscar Smith was the Baddest!
I am so grateful to these guys. I learned to play listening to them. It's great to see dizzy and james moody. These guys have more soul than they can control. And who would want them to?
this is such a treat! and that glorious "Organ Grinder's Swing" from 5:25 to 6:00 is a gem ... you can find the recorded version with Grady Tate and Kenny Burrell here on uTube
I poured his coffee at Star Seeds Cafe a 24 hour place, adjacent to a Days Inn. Downtown Austin, Texas about Twenty something years ago when he played a 6th street club or there abouts. Many stars, their bands and Hollywood legends rolled in and out.
a 1a vez que o ouvi foi no rádio AM com "Walk on The Wild side". Aí passei a ter tds seus discos inclusive LPs. E o assisti Live em Sampa no Free Jazz Festival. Amém! Aplausos!
19:20 - Jimmy’s incredibly long, skinny fingers gave him a significant mechanical advantage when playing a B3. Unlike all electrified keyboards of the time - no digital instruments like synthesizers came along until the 80s - only the Hammond with its unique and patented tone wheel generators produced an actual analog sound. Its unique and naturalistic voice gave its player the ability to play effective legato solos, strings of single notes like a horn player, with an intrinsic “attack” that rivaled the tonality and percussive power of wind instruments. But it was not until a virtuoso like Jimmy came along and exploited its potential that the Hammond’s unique sound made it a fixture in recording studios around the world.
As a sometime rock fan, othertimes jazz fan, I can vouch that none of the rock world's organ players, no matter how good, had anything on JS. The man was a powerhouse.
@@johnbishop5316 ok, I'll jump in -- I'm a professional full time keyboardist, have been for over 40 years, still touring now. I think Rotten Apple is exactly right. We all like different things and different players , but on a strictly technical level at least, nobody can touch Jimmy. I think any professional keyboard player would agree with me, we've all been trying to figure him out for decades now -- some of his runs are simply impossible to play for anybody but Jimmy and his concept is fresh to this day. IMHO
@@jamiepastman5594 I agree with you Jamie. I'll give you more cred than Rotten Apple, since you actually play. I love JS from when I first heard him around 64, and saw him perform many times including not long before his death. Spoke to him a couple of times. It was RA's qualification I was querying.
It's really interesting to see this...November '65 and they could feel what was about to happen. Watch this and then some of the Miles Davis concerts from '69 to '73 that are up on YT. What a difference in such a short time.
I wish there was a version of this film without the Teutonic Voiceover, it interferes with the musicians are saying. It's like they break with the Jazz to play some Polka music.
What's up, fellas! Anybody knows the name of the real Soulful tune that starts in 1:12 ? Man, i really want to discover the name of this song! Greetings from Brazil!
The documentary (90') was shot by Klaus Wildenhahn, a german filmmaker in the Sixties, produced by NDR (Hamburg, Germany), who supposedly is the owner of the rights. The UA-cam version is distributed by Deutsche Kinemathek Berlin.
Wow, this is great to see although there's way too much unnecessary talking between the music. This whole video could have been just Jimmy playing. He was one of the greatest virtuosos in the entire history of jazz and one of my ultimate musical idols.
Was meinen Sie mit "Moderation"? Klaus Wildenhahns spärlichen, manchmal unbeholfenen Kommentar? Damals sah man die Jazzszene in den USA mit anderen Augen. Seien wir doch froh, dass Wildenhahn diesen Film in den 60ern überhaupt gemacht u. dies wichtige Dokument hinterlassen hat.
@@maltheseus Von mir aus unbeholfene Kommentare. Leider gar nicht spärlich. Zudem auch aus Sicht der 1960er Jahre peinliche Versuche, gewisse Jazz-eigene Begriffe und Ausdrucksweisen "einzudeutschen". Der Film selbst ist auch ohne den hier fehlenden Teil im RVG-Studio interessant, aber der Herr Filmemacher hätte besser das Kommentieren an jemand Kompetenten delegiert.
@@jimmy1988c Ja, das ist ein Teil der hier fehlt. Ich habe den kompletten Film bereits vor vielen Jahren erhalten. Keine Ahnung, ob dieser irgendwo online verfügbar ist.
I agree with that. The operatic (retarded) or menacing voice of an organ has no place outside a fine arts venue or church. You can thank WurliTzer for dropping acid, and bragging, "oh look how great this is. You've got to hear this haunting, melancholy shit." I'm an organ hater, but find a lot of Jimmy's material irresistible. Like many, I did not know an electric organ could sound like that. Experimentation. Go beyond the retarded gibberish (opera) and screaming (hard rock/metal). Pick up some books, experiment, and learn.
@@randybackgammon890 All of his stuff is great, but I fully agree. I also notice some different (really juicy) sounds. I wondered if his 888000000 was always his thing.
I had taken organ lessons from age 9, but when I heard my first Jimmy Smith record I realized that the instrument was SO much different than I had imagined! He changed my life and I still have a Hammond B-3 in my man-cave, 50 years later. Greatest instrument ever made and its greatest player.
👍👍👍👍👍👍 Keep the legacy alive !!!
Not long before Jimmy died I went to see him (again) at the Jazz Cafe in London. I was standing right at the front to watch his footwork. The stage was only about 2 feet high. After the first number, as the applause faded he looked down on me and said to me and my partner, who was treating me for my birthday, "Hey, you two little kids? " I looked around and indeed, the crowd behind us all seemed giants. I'm only 5 5 and gf 5 3. Quick as a flash I said, "Jimmy, I first saw you play the Hammond in 1966. I'm no kid. Thanks for the compliment." He grunted. "Where was that gig?" "Birmingham Town hall." " Bad sound." he said. Indeed, the guitar was miced through the pa. It was all out of balance. He remembered it too!.
That's great! I only saw him the once, at The Town & Country Club in '89, with his arm in a sling!
@@LordAmbrosia1 Which arm?
Maybe the same gig I saw with Jim Mullen and Martin Drew? They were under rehearsed but it was still great to see him live. The Organ Grinder's Swing is his best album for me.
@@sherbetdab1200 Walk on the Wild Side for me. Not Jim Mullen.
@@LordAmbrosia1 I saw him play Cambridge Corn Exchange. So it must have been around that time too and he had his arm in a sling then also. (His left arm I think it was).
At a musical instrument industry show (NAMM) in Chicago in the mid-80s, I was among a cluster of fellow mid-20s keyboard players watching Jimmy demonstrate some German electric keyboard. He noticed us and when done playing he walked over and with a big smile shook hands with each of us. We were speechless. Still beaming he said, “So YOU’re the guys who’ve been stealing my licks!” We all laughed.
What year was this again? 1965? Jimmy was a force of nature like none other. This proves it. What soul and spirit , hardly ever seen in music.
Fantastic musician love the Hammond
Great to see this back up on YT - but the original version was even longer - and included footage of Jimmy at home, listening to The Stones Satisfaction in his managers office - before recording it.. would love to see the entire thing again.. James Oscar Smith was the Baddest!
Thank you so very much for uploading this illuminating document.
I saw Jimmy perform several times from 1969 onwards. He was always transcendent
Thanks. Awesome footage. Great to see the giants of jazz in footage.
Fantastic Documentary! Thank you for putting this up
I met the great JImmy Smith at the Vine Street Bar and Grill in Hollywood. He was very engaging and funny as hell.
I am so grateful to these guys. I learned to play listening to them.
It's great to see dizzy and james moody. These guys have more soul
than they can control. And who would want them to?
this is such a treat!
and that glorious "Organ Grinder's Swing" from 5:25 to 6:00 is a gem ... you can find the recorded version with Grady Tate and Kenny Burrell here on uTube
A documentary by the great German filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn !
Here we have an extract and mix from his two JS-films from 1965 and 1966.
I poured his coffee at Star Seeds Cafe a 24 hour place, adjacent to a Days Inn.
Downtown Austin, Texas about Twenty something years ago when he played a 6th street club or there abouts. Many stars, their bands and Hollywood legends rolled in and out.
I was at UT Austin at the time and still regret missing this show.
Has to be Jimmy's best ever trio.
Jimmys Jam was a favorite often played album in my house
Love it! It’s the coolest to see these early sixties scenes, and the sounds! JST was awesome!
a 1a vez que o ouvi foi no rádio AM com "Walk on The Wild side". Aí passei a ter tds seus discos inclusive LPs.
E o assisti Live em Sampa no Free Jazz Festival. Amém! Aplausos!
Thank you..full doc..quality..love..a heart of soul xx
PLEASE NEVER TAKE DOWN THIS VIDEO!!
Thank you!!!
19:20 - Jimmy’s incredibly long, skinny fingers gave him a significant mechanical advantage when playing a B3.
Unlike all electrified keyboards of the time - no digital instruments like synthesizers came along until the 80s - only the Hammond with its unique and patented tone wheel generators produced an actual analog sound. Its unique and naturalistic voice gave its player the ability to play effective legato solos, strings of single notes like a horn player, with an intrinsic “attack” that rivaled the tonality and percussive power of wind instruments. But it was not until a virtuoso like Jimmy came along and exploited its potential that the Hammond’s unique sound made it a fixture in recording studios around the world.
Excellent points well stated. It is a phenomenon with bass players also.
Jazz Musicians are Really the coolest people on the planet.
Great documentary
The Godfather of the jazz organ.
29:22 Thr statement ‘Discipline is freedom’ hits differently now
Great 👍
When Jimmy met Paul Humphries it was on!
Thanks for the repost. This documentary is priceless. JOS in his prime!
As a sometime rock fan, othertimes jazz fan, I can vouch that none of the rock world's organ players, no matter how good, had anything on JS. The man was a powerhouse.
I agree with you but your stated credentials lack some ...er..cred. I'm sure we can get it on better authority.
@@johnbishop5316 ok, I'll jump in -- I'm a professional full time keyboardist, have been for over 40 years, still touring now. I think Rotten Apple is exactly right. We all like different things and different players , but on a strictly technical level at least, nobody can touch Jimmy. I think any professional keyboard player would agree with me, we've all been trying to figure him out for decades now -- some of his runs are simply impossible to play for anybody but Jimmy and his concept is fresh to this day. IMHO
@@jamiepastman5594 I agree with you Jamie. I'll give you more cred than Rotten Apple, since you actually play. I love JS from when I first heard him around 64, and saw him perform many times including not long before his death. Spoke to him a couple of times. It was RA's qualification I was querying.
@@johnbishop5316 very cool, I wish I could've seen him live!
No Keith Emerson, no Gregg Allman, no Wakeman comes close, just maybe a bit Brian Auger....
Vielen danke for this.
excelente video genio saludos desde BAJA CALIFORNIA yeahhhhhhhh
It's really interesting to see this...November '65 and they could feel what was about to happen. Watch this and then some of the Miles Davis concerts from '69 to '73 that are up on YT. What a difference in such a short time.
The Absolute King 👑 there is no other period……RIP JOS
Just played J.O.S. from the Sermon,yesterday. One of his very best compositions.
lets go up and get some tea jazz code for lets go get high thanx for this
26:55 they were very advanced compared to people now
He was the greatest he was like Honey ❤🎉❤🎉😮😅😅😅.
Guitarist rockin the solidbody! Good choice so the nice archtop didn't get destroyed by the airline. :-)
The boss of the B-3 Hammond: JAMES OSCAR "Jimmy" SMITH, JR. (December 8th, 1925 - February 8th, 2005).
❤
Just realizing that the book on the table at 23:36 was by Wilhelm / Baynes
THE I CHING, OR, BOOK OF CHANGES
That’s what happens when people seek high level knowledge
Anyone know what tune Jimmy is listening to Diz play about 15 min in?
The ultimate B-3 player...period.
@Andrew Sandoz ....is ....LARRY YOUNG
🏆🏆🏆🏆🔥😎
🥰
🔥
I wish there was a version of this film without the Teutonic Voiceover, it interferes with the musicians are saying. It's like they break with the Jazz to play some Polka music.
What's up, fellas!
Anybody knows the name of the real Soulful tune that starts in 1:12 ?
Man, i really want to discover the name of this song!
Greetings from Brazil!
19:45 jazz musician sign language 💯
See his road manager Clarence Avante( the black Godfather)
👍
this is a shorter version ! where is the Rudy Van gelder studio part?
That was my favourite part. Rare film footage of RVG in his prime.
@@vinylarchaeologist where have you seen it?
some of this ua-cam.com/video/fjfEjt6MP94/v-deo.html ?
@@jimmy1988c used to be on UA-cam in its entirety - deleted now, probably due to copyrighted music
Wonder who was reading the I Ching: Book of Changes. Was the 60`s indeed.
Yes!!!!! I'm glad this is back up!! At least half of it! Lol
@jeremy was there more?
do you mean this? ua-cam.com/video/fjfEjt6MP94/v-deo.html
@@jimmy1988c yes!!! There was about 55 minutes of that part too!!
43:51 was cool as hell!
Do you know song name ?
@@user-fk6rs8yj7y Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf 🙂
Thanks!
11:31 please song name.
Fiesta Mojo, written by Dizzy Gillespie
was it all filmed in germany?,,,it ends with the british national anthem!!....stunning musicians.
24:40 and on = England.
It should be noted that this is in German.
What’s the source material?
German TV, right?
The documentary (90') was shot by Klaus Wildenhahn, a german filmmaker in the Sixties, produced by NDR (Hamburg, Germany), who supposedly is the owner of the rights. The UA-cam version is distributed by Deutsche Kinemathek Berlin.
@@maltheseus Thanks.
He was a Bad mama Jammer
Why is Diz on the cover?
arrive at 4:30 for sound check. ok. 3 minutes before the gig 🤣
Holy Jesus and mother Mary….this fuckin’ SMOOOOKES!
🙏🏻
🇨🇦
❤️
🎹
Lol! You said it best!
Wow, this is great to see although there's way too much unnecessary talking between the music. This whole video could have been just Jimmy playing. He was one of the greatest virtuosos in the entire history of jazz and one of my ultimate musical idols.
No - the talking is awesome.
8:08 didn't know practice pads already existed !
He looks like Eddie Murphy
My thoughts EXACTLY, too!!! #"*@
OMG, I wasn't the only one who thought that. Another reason I admire him.
German
Not sure I understand the purpose of the race baiter in this documentary. Would have preferred to see the genius of this man. Mr Jimmy Smith.
Shorter version of the original full lenght docu. As an Austrian (German language area) I must say: the German moderation is just embarrassing.
Was meinen Sie mit "Moderation"? Klaus Wildenhahns spärlichen, manchmal unbeholfenen Kommentar? Damals sah man die Jazzszene in den USA mit anderen Augen. Seien wir doch froh, dass Wildenhahn diesen Film in den 60ern überhaupt gemacht u. dies wichtige Dokument hinterlassen hat.
@@maltheseus Von mir aus unbeholfene Kommentare. Leider gar nicht spärlich. Zudem auch aus Sicht der 1960er Jahre peinliche Versuche, gewisse Jazz-eigene Begriffe und Ausdrucksweisen "einzudeutschen". Der Film selbst ist auch ohne den hier fehlenden Teil im RVG-Studio interessant, aber der Herr Filmemacher hätte besser das Kommentieren an jemand Kompetenten delegiert.
@@prof.t.c.pfeiler1280 wo gibt es den vollen zweiten teil? ist das ein subpart? ua-cam.com/video/fjfEjt6MP94/v-deo.html
@@jimmy1988c Ja, das ist ein Teil der hier fehlt. Ich habe den kompletten Film bereits vor vielen Jahren erhalten. Keine Ahnung, ob dieser irgendwo online verfügbar ist.
SCHLACHZEUCH
Loved Jimmy but he was dead wrong about the Beatles.
So many were! Gimmicks!? I dont think for a second that the 1966 album REVOLVER was.... GIMMICKS...
"Organs are for hokey games and funerals" - Thelonious Monk on why he does not play the organ.
well, if so, then he was clearly wrong on jimmy it seems... even monk was human for sure!!!!
Are you trying to say YOU don't like JS? Why might that be?
Thelonious Monk records are boring as hell
@vova47 YOU SURE he didn mean an additional "n" MIA herein ...(?). Still live @ the Groovy ? Or @ the Bahamas ..
I agree with that. The operatic (retarded) or menacing voice of an organ has no place outside a fine arts venue or church. You can thank WurliTzer for dropping acid, and bragging, "oh look how great this is. You've got to hear this haunting, melancholy shit."
I'm an organ hater, but find a lot of Jimmy's material irresistible. Like many, I did not know an electric organ could sound like that. Experimentation. Go beyond the retarded gibberish (opera) and screaming (hard rock/metal). Pick up some books, experiment, and learn.
I liked his tone. Some riffs were good. Also, he could be extremely repetitive and boring.
Early stuff better...'Home cookin' from '59 probably his (and cool jazzes)apogee
@@randybackgammon890 All of his stuff is great, but I fully agree. I also notice some different (really juicy) sounds. I wondered if his 888000000 was always his thing.
❤