“Back at the Chicken Shack” by Jimmy Smith

2016 was a somber year filled with a seemingly endless list of musical greats who parted ways with life. Two of the most notable recording engineers that we lost were George Martin and Rudy Van Gelder. The latter of the two, although not as well-known, is credited with helping to define the recorded sounds of modern Jazz music. Van Gelder, a former optometrist, would never admit to this and in his own words was just "trying to get electronics to accurately capture the human spirit.”

“Back at the Chicken Shack” is one of these perfectly recorded gems and a wonderful example of Jimmy Smith’s subtle, soulful and technical approach to the instrument, especially with those basslines. Recorded in 1960, it features the steady drumming of Donald Bailey, the warm phrasing of Kenny Burrell, and Stanley Turrentine’s dependable soloing.
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Rudy Van Gelder was and still is a monster figure in recorded Jazz history and the work he did for Blue Note, Prestige, Savoy, Impulse! and CTI Records is often unmatched in fidelity and will hopefully be listened to for an eternity.