A FUNKY COLLECTION OF CROSSOVER HITS
Giovanni | Chicago, IL | 07/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Jimmy Smith is the ruler of the Hammond organ, plain and simple. For this particular outing, Verve paired Jimmy with long time collaborator and under-appreciated band leader Oliver Nelson. They grabbed a handful of songs of the day and made them their own. GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL, the heartfelt vocalized plea of Steve Lawrence, takes on a new meaning here under Jimmy's controlled swinging. The sumptuous Latin-tinged (written by guitarist extraordinaire Luis Bonfa) THE GENTLE RAIN comes across like the steam drifting up off the hot summer pavement when gentle rain falls on it. Absolutely great. A spirited reading of the classic Broadway tune THIS NEARLY WAS MINE is handled with class here by Jimmy and Oliver and the band. Very interesting treatment of this standard. Jimmy even gives us a listen to his vocal skills on the funky BIG BOSS MAN, and gives us a reading of a tune EVERYONE knows, the theme from MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. But the standout here is Jimmy and Oliver's reading of the theme from the VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. It is at once sad, yet driving, almost pleading. The arrangement is flawless here, framing Jimmy's every nuance and makes for one of the best versions of this song EVER. It's true that Verve may have gone to the well too many times with some of its artists when it came to collections like this of hits of the day (many think Verve superstar and Jimmy Smith collaborator Wes Montgomery sold out too when he did some of his string/band sessions with arranger/conductor great Don Sebesky; I don't) personally, this is one of my favorite albums. And Jimmy certainly looks like he's living up to the title of this album on the great album cover! Get it and enjoy."
