Jazz breaking news: James Taylor Big Band Pay Tribute To The Cat
Friday, November 4, 2011
The irrepressible James Taylor Quartet, led by their eponymous Hammond B3 bashing maestro (pictured), are set to pay a fulsome big band tribute to one of their prime inspirations, Jimmy ‘The Cat’ Smith at Chelsea venue Under The Bridge on 25 November.
The gig coincides with the 50th anniversary of the release of Bashin' –The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith, the first album the groundbreaking Hammond organist recorded with a big band.
The album was significant in Smith’s career as it marked his debut for Verve, (even though he continued to record for Blue Note throughout 1962), it features arrangements by saxophonist Oliver Nelson and his stellar big band that included the likes of trumpeter Joe Newman and saxophonist Phil Woods. It also marked a commercial turning point for Smith as the track ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ was to become his biggest hit to date.
Following the release of this year’s rootsy Smith-inspired album The Template, marking JTQ’s industrious 25 years of making music together, Taylor has been on fiery form with sold out residencies at Ronnie Scott’s and numerous festival appearances and tours. Taylor first heard ‘The Cat’ when he performed as part of a bill with his own former Mod band The Prisoners at Hammersmith’s Clarendon Ballroom in 1982. From that point on Smith exerted a huge influence over Taylor’s approach to putting the Hammond at the forefront of his own band.
Having pulled together some of the best musicians around to deliver this large ensemble tribute to the music of one of his heroes, Taylor commented: “This is such a great project because it’s never been done before. Jimmy Smith recorded the big band arrangements but never performed them live. To be able to perform them as a big band in JTQ’s 25th anniversary year is special.”
For more info www.underthebridge.co.uk
– Mike Flynn