1964 · Album
Christmas '64
Recorded 1964 · Not specified in source material · Produced by Not specified in source material
Jimmy Smith's Unlikely Holiday Detour
Smith's only Christmas album stands apart from his usual organ workouts—a one-time venture into seasonal material.
Jimmy Smith made his name at the Hammond B-3 organ, building a reputation on hard-swinging soul-jazz records that packed clubs and sold steadily throughout the 1960s. Christmas '64 represents something unusual in his catalog: his sole album devoted entirely to holiday material. It's the kind of project that could have felt like a commercial obligation or a label-mandated cash grab, but Smith approaches it with the same seriousness he brought to his standard repertoire.
What makes this record distinctive is that Smith doesn't transform into a crooner or suddenly get sentimental. He treats Christmas standards the way he treated everything else—as vehicles for his organist's voice. The Hammond B-3 was built for soul and swing, not strings and sleigh bells, so hearing Smith navigate carols and holiday material on his instrument forces both him and the listener into unfamiliar territory. He doesn't soften his attack or retreat into coziness. Instead, you get his particular sound applied to material that rarely receives this kind of treatment, which creates an odd but genuine tension.
The album's afterlife is worth noting. It was reissued in 1966 as Christmas Cookin', suggesting it had enough appeal to warrant a second release and renewed marketing push. That doesn't make it his most important work—Smith's real legacy rests elsewhere—but it does mean the record found an audience. For fans of Smith, it's a curious footnote, a moment when the organist stepped outside his usual domain. For listeners discovering him, start with his more characteristic soul-jazz records first, then circle back to this one as an oddity that works better than it has any right to.
Who's playing
Art Davisdouble bass
Paul Faulisebass trombone
Tom Mitchellbass trombone
Kenny Burrellguitar
Quentin Warrenguitar
Bernie Glowtrumpet
Ernie Royaltrumpet
Danny Stilestrumpet
Joe Wildertrumpet
Jimmy Clevelandtrombone
Chauncey Welschtrombone
Jimmy Smithorgan
Grady Tatedrums
Bill Hartdrums
George Devenspercussion
Jim BuffingtonFrench horn
Earl ChapinFrench horn
Don CorradoFrench horn
Joe Newmanflugelhorn
Harvey Philipstuba
Margret Rossharp
Morris SeconFrench horn
Where next?
More by Jimmy Smith
All 13 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
