Re: Jimmy Smith playing anywhere?

[John Brevik <brevik@math.berkeley.edu>]

On Sun, 9 Jun 1996, Dan Gresham wrote:

> On Sat, 8 Jun 1996 Bt1955@aol.com wrote:
> 
> > You know after hearing all the negative responce out of peoples mouths not
> > just from the United States but from all over the world, it makes one wonder
> > how long do people have to put up  with this behavior. The mouth, the cheap
> > shots at white people.the insults, If the shoe was on the other foot, the
> > NAACP would be all over that person like a cheap shirt.
> > 
> > It seems to me that it is time this man is going to have to start answering
> > to his poor behavior. 
> > 
> > Jack Mcduff, Jimmy M. Joey D.   and all the other Hammond legends that have
> > been well respected in the world, looks like it is time to take over, and
> > drop this guy like a bad habbit.
> 
> You know I just see this as too bad. I saw him in London a few months 
> ago, and I really though he was amazing. There was nothing I could 
> complain about his behaviour or attitude - he stopped and made faces at 
> people who walked straight in front of him during a solo or whilst he was 
> talking, but it wasn't bitter, just amusing.
> 
> His playing was amazing - none of the repetitiveness that people have 
> complained about - many people say that he just uses the same old licks 
> in different orders, but what he was playing really got me going. It was 
> one of the most exciting gigs I've been to, not just because of the 
> playing, but because of the atmosphere - it had a real buzz to it.
> 
> Still - other people have _clearly_ had different experiences. I just 
> wanted to let people know that I had been to a great concert.

I had a similarly great experience at a Jimmy S. show.  The sets were a 
bit brief, but the playing was tremendously subtle and sensual, and he 
seemed really involved.  He did make a few racial comments, but they all 
seemed very good-natured to me, and most of them ran both directions.  
Maybe others are more sensitive to this kind of thing.  I personally 
loved his interactions with the crowd as well as his playing.