385 The Sermon
This is a most special Sermon … a seminal piece of music that comes up on my playlist every now and then. It’s been doing so for more than fifty years. Listen to Jimmy Smith, the best jazz organist ever, Art Blakey et al ... turn up the volume.
click above, sit back and close your eyes ... here's a tip:
the piece is twenty minutes long ... perfect for a little turn at meditation:
Sit yourself comfortably, breathe deeply and practice mindfulness,
intently listening to the music ... this is a 'trance-meditation'
(if you want to keep reading blogs as you listen,
just open another window)
Review on ALLMUSIC ...
When Jimmy Smith
exploded onto the jazz scene in 1956, he changed everything about the way the
organ was used and perceived in jazz. His first two years of recording were
mind-bogglingly prolific, producing 13 albums. Three marathon jam sessions
during this period produced some of his finest early work, including The
Sermon! Smith
displays both a youthful fire and a musical wisdom beyond his years throughout
the album. Whether blazing through hard bop tunes like "Confirmation"
and "Au Privave" (both Charlie Parker compositions) or gently
caressing the ballad "Lover Man," Smith constantly proves himself the most inventive organist of the bop generation. In
moving beyond the classic organ trio format, Smith, takes
the organ into new areas, and trading solos with the likes of Lee Morgan and Lou Donaldsond, he makes it plain that his is an individual voice worthy of
its eventual place in the jazz canon. A special treat here is the tenor work of
the great, underrated Tina Brooks.