A New Name, A Fresh Sound
Hammond dropped his surname and stepped into Creed Taylor's new Kudu imprint with a band of serious players.
Breakout marks a genuine turning point — the moment Johnny Hammond Smith shed the "Smith" and arrived as a solo artist under his own terms. As the first release on Creed Taylor's newly launched Kudu label, this album carried real weight: it announced both a rebranded artist and a bold new imprint. Hammond had spent years as a workhorse organist, but this session feels like a statement.
The band is stacked. Eric Gale on guitar, Grover Washington, Jr. on tenor, Hank Crawford on alto, and Billy Cobham on drums give the organ plenty of sharp, modern company. Airto Moreira's percussion and Danny Moore's trumpet add texture without clutter. The sound is crisp and arranged — this is soul-jazz with a contemporary sheen, nothing rambling or loose. Hammond's organ playing is confident and melodic, steering clear of the harder funk-fusion territory that dominated some of his peers' work. The grooves breathe; there's space here.
It's easy to overlook Breakout now, tucked behind flashier Kudu releases that followed. But this debut for Taylor's label proved the concept worked: talented sidemen, strong production, enough commercial appeal to reach beyond hardcore jazz listeners. Hammond never became a household name, but he didn't need to. This record simply does what it sets out to do—solid, professional, and genuinely listenable.
Who's playing
John Williamselectric bass guitar
Eric Galeguitar
Hank Crawfordalto saxophone
Grover Washington, Jr.tenor saxophone
Danny Mooretrumpet
Billy Cobhamdrums
Airto Moreirapercussion
Where next?
More by Johnny Hammond Smith
All 27 albums →
The musicians on this record
Spectrum 1973
Billy Cobham
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
Inner City Blues 1971
Grover Washington Jr.
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
We Got a Good Thing Going 1972
Hank Crawford
plays alto saxophone here
plays alto saxophone here
♫
Virgin Land 1974
Airto Moreira
plays percussion here
plays percussion here
