category: instrumental jazz / easy listening

Album review:
Guitarist Johnny Smith's career spans the decades of the 1940s through to the 1990s. From the very beginning of his musical career he influenced the playing of other guitarists. In fact, other guitarists mention Smith almost as often as they mention Charlie Christian as a major influence on their playing. And today players still feel and respond to the influence of Johnny Smith. In the preface to Steve Silverman's 1998 transcriptions of Johnny Smith Guitar Solos he acknowledges that Johnny Smith has been "a source" of inspiration and influence on guitarists as diverse as Pat Martino and Chet Atkins. We include tracks recorded with the likes of Stan Getz, Joe Newman and Zoot Sims, recorded in 1952 and 1953.

CD Track Listing

  1. WHERE OR WHEN (Rodgers / Hart) (2:21)
  2. TABU (Stillman / Russell / Lecuona ) (2:36)
  3. MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT (Suessdorf / Blackburn) (3:08)
  4. JAGUAR (Johnny Smith) (2:27)
  5. (I DON'T STAND A) GHOST OF A CHANCE (Crosby / Washington / Young) (3:08)
  6. VILIA (Franz Lehar) (2:42)
  7. SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY (Caesar / Youmans) (2:22)
  8. STARS FELL ON ALABAMA (Parish / Perkins) (2:57)
  9. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (Ira & George Gershwin) (2:28)
10. TENDERLY (Lawrence / Gross) (3:18)
11. CAVU (Johnny Smith) (2:12)
12. I'LL BE AROUND (Wilder) (2:43)
13. YESTERDAYS (Kern / Harbach) (2:50)
14. CHEROKEE (Noble) (2:47)
15. TENDERLY (Lawrence / Gross) (21:55)
16. LET'S SPLIT (Shad / Jones) (13:47)

w/Stan Getz - tenor saxophone - tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10
w/Zoot Sims - tenor saxophone - tracks 5, 6
w/Paul Quinichette - tenor saxophone - tracks 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
w/Frank Foster - tenor saxophone - tracks 15, 16

Total timing: 73:48

Label/No: Proper 2087 (UK import)

Release date: (c)1952, 1953, 2006 reissue