His beautiful tone, fluent style and exciting solos competed with Lee Morgan and even Miles Davis. Smithville, from 1958, features him at the peak of his powers. Recorded the same year as Smith’s heated appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival with Horace Silver, Smithville features the trumpeter interacting with tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse and pianist Sonny Clark on some stunning performances. The title cut, a lengthy themeless blues, is full of creative solos, “Wetu” is explosive (with Rouse challenging Smith), and “Embraceable You” contains emotional solos that make the George Gershwin ballad sound brand new. Louis Smith proves to be a masterful player whose solos are full of surprises and honest emotions. Smithville is a gem that all hard bop collectors will cherish.
Features:
Numbered, Limited Edition
Remastered from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes!
Remastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at Acoustech
Cut at 45rpm for Better Sound!
Pressed on two 180 gram Virgin Vinyl LPs by RTI
Limited Edition
Ultra-Durable, Extra Thick Album Jackets
Gatefold Album with Session Photos in stunning High Resolution
Musicians:
Louis Smith, trumpet
Charlie Rouse, tenor saxophone
Sonny Clark, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Art Taylor, drums
Selections:
1. Smithville
2. Wetu
3. Embraceable You
4. There Will Never Be Another You
5. Later