category: instrumental jazz / easy listening

Album review:
The sublimely talented, American jazz guitarist Johnny Smith is justifiably and seriously considered to be one of the handful of true greats after Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. "Spring Is Here..." includes the historic "Moonlight In Vermont" which Johnny recorded with Stan Getz and is one of the best selling jazz singles ever. His most famous composition "Walk Don't Run!", would become a major international hit for The Ventures. This compilation comprises stellar recordings from Smith's halycon days in the early fifties selections from all of his landmark albums of that period and the entire very brilliant "Johnny Smith Quartet" LP." -- FiveFour / Cherry Red Records, 2006

CD Track Listing

  1. WHERE OR WHEN (Rodgers / Hart) (2:28)
  2. VILIA (Franz Lehar) (2:43)
  3. MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT (Suessdorf / Blackburn) (3:16)
  4. JAGUAR [alternate take] (Johnny Smith) (2:30)
  5. WHAT'S NEW? (Haggart / Burke) (3:07)
  6. WALK DON'T RUN! (Johnny Smith) (2:49)
  7. LOVER MAN (Davis / Ramirez / Sherman) (2:29)
  8. BUT BEAUTIFUL (Burke / Van Huesen) (2:51)
  9. SWINGING ON A STAR (Burke / Van Huesen) (2:37)
10. NANCY (WITH THE LAUGHING FACE) (Silvers / Van Huesen) (3:19)
11. I THOUGHT ABOUT YOU (Burke / Van Huesen) (2:13)
12. POLKA DOTS & MOONBEAMS (Burke / Van Huesen) (2:45)
13. DJANGO (John Lewis) (5:04)
14. WAIT TILL YOU SEE HER (Rodgers / Hart) (2:17)
15. 0500 BLUES (Johnny Smith) (3:48)
16. MORE BASS (George Roumanis) (2:31)
17. UNO POCO LOCO (Bud Powell) (4:27)
18. EASY LIVING (Rainger / Robin) (3:19)
19. OLD GIRL (George Roumanis) (3:54)
20. LITTLE GIRL BLUE (Rodgers / Hart) (2:50)
21. TIRED BLOOD (Johnny Smith) (4:19)
22. SPRING IS HERE (Rodgers / Hart) (2:46)

Total timing: 68:32

Label/No: FiveFour-8 (UK import)

Release date: (c)1952, 1954, 1955 2006 reissue