Root Down＜限定盤＞

キング・オブ・ハモンドB3オルガン"ことJimmy Smithの1972年のライヴ盤。1994年にBeastie Boysにカヴァーされたことでも有名な"Root Down"を2ヴァージョン収録。さらにAl Greenの名曲 "Let's Stay Together," のカヴァ―がなんともソウルフルで素晴らしい。ソウル・ジャズの基本の1枚。

Toward the end of his stint with Blue Note, Jimmy Smith's albums became predictable. Moving to Verve in the mid-'60s helped matters considerably, since he started playing with new musicians (most notably nice duets with Wes Montgomery) and new settings, but he never really got loose, as he did on select early Blue Note sessions. Part of the problem was that Smith's soul-jazz was organic and laid-back, relaxed and funky instead of down and dirty. For latter-day listeners, aware of his reputation as the godfather of modern soul-jazz organ (and certainly aware of the Beastie Boys' name drop), that may mean that Smith's actual albums all seem a bit tame and restrained, classy, not funky. That's true of the bulk of Smith's catalog, with the notable exception of Root Down. Not coincidentally, the title track is the song the Beasties sampled on their 1994 song of the same name, since this is one of the only sessions that Smith cut where his playing his raw, vital, and earthy. Recorded live in Los Angeles in February 1972, the album captures a performance Smith gave with a relatively young supporting band who were clearly influenced by modern funk and rock. They push Smith to playing low-down grooves that truly cook: "Sagg Shootin' His Arrow" and "Root Down (And Get It)" are among the hottest tracks he ever cut, especially in the restored full-length versions showcased on the 2000 Verve By Request reissue. There are times where the pace slows, but the tension never sags, and the result is one of the finest, most exciting records in Smith's catalog. If you think you know everything about Jimmy Smith, this is the album for you. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ジャズ・オルガン奏者の第一人者であるジミー・スミスがJB級以上のドス黒いサウンドをアピールした1972年の大傑作ライヴ。その後のフュージョン時代到来という時代背景もあってか、今までのオルガン・ジャズとは全く違うファンク色の強さを醸し出し、テンションも終始高調に達している。まさに黒光りグルーヴの代表格！ジミヘン～スライ・ストーン～JB、そして70年代のマイルスと合わせて聴く事をオススメします。 (C)定田

近年のジャム･バンド･ブームの３０年近く昔に、先駆けとも言えるスタイルの演奏を行っていたオルガン・マスター、ジミー・スミス。ハイ･ボルテージなファンキー･サウンド。 (C)ANCHOR