One Session, Two Albums, Pure Organ
Midnight Special captures Jimmy Smith in his element: swinging hard on the organ with no wasted motion.
Midnight Special arrived in 1960 as the product of a single, remarkably productive session—the same one that yielded Back at the Chicken Shack (1960). That kind of efficiency was common in jazz recording, but it raises an obvious question: how did Smith and his bandmates walk out of one studio day with enough material for two full albums? The answer lies in the sheer energy and appetite these musicians brought to the date. Smith was at a peak of his powers, the organ still a relatively fresh voice in jazz, and he had something to prove with every take.
What defines Midnight Special is its directness. Smith doesn't overreach or show off. He plays functional, swinging organ lines that lock into the groove without calling attention to themselves. The material is straightforward—standards and blues heads, nothing precious. The session produced solid, listenable jazz that worked as background music in clubs and as something you could sit down and study at home. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called the album "highly recommended," which speaks to its fundamental soundness. It's the kind of record that doesn't demand anything of you except that you listen.
For newcomers to Smith, Back at the Chicken Shack (1960) remains the stronger entry point—it has more charm and memorable moments. Midnight Special is better suited to listeners already sold on his approach who want another helping of reliable, unfussy organ jazz. It's neither a peak nor a detour; it's simply Smith doing his job well in a session that happened to be unusually fruitful.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Jimmy Smith
All 13 albums →
The musicians on this record
Comin’ Your Way 1960
Stanley Turrentine
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
Midnight Blue 1963
Kenny Burrell
plays guitar here
plays guitar here
