Back At The Chicken Shack

I don't have anything technical to say about this album. But I will say that I want to have a party. And I want there to be an impending snowstorm and the only people who show up are the ones who will brave the weather. And then the snow starts and we all go outside and marvel at how the snow twinkles in the moonlight. And then we come back inside, pour mugs of mulled wine and put on this album in the low light of winter.

I will be returning to the chicken shack

Nice, must remember it for when I host a dinner party with intellectuals.

This album was perfect for my 2nd covid vaccine fever stupor. I listened to it in the shower while getting my ass kicked by the shot, and boy did it put me in such a peaceful place. I love Jimmy's warm organ sound so much. But you know when rappers say "He got killed on his own track," when a featured artist outshines them on a song? Jimmy's saxophonist killed him big on this album. I felt like that sax dominated this album while his organ playing was kind of relegated to second chair. Not to say he isn't a fantastic organist or bandleader, but I did find myself grooving to this sax in a big way. I really love this sound, and it inspired my to seek out more music like this, so I have to give it points for inspiration.

Great for summer background. Sittin on da porch. Cookin a nice meal. Do something active but lowkey, turn this bad larry on.

banger banger banger banger banger banger banger banger banger banger banger

I expected to hate this album (I'm not a big jazz fan) but I ended up loving it. The grooves are tight, the musicianship is superb, and the performances are top-notch. The only reason that this didn't get full marks is because a couple of the tracks do drag on a bit. At 45 minutes long and only 5 tracks, this is somewhat inevitable. The really remarkable thing is that most of the tracks DON'T feel like they're too long.

21st September 2021 Listened on the living room speaker while we tidied the flat. I LOVED this, it sounds like the inside of my head. Bluesy, jazzy, laid back, can fit any mood any time of day.

Points for putting a dog on the cover, and this was inoffensive as background music, but it also didn't do anything for me. I just don't enjoy jazz that much. 2.1

It’s good but I’m not “moved” by it. Just seems like simple jazz to me.

If this is about rooting chickens and Hasil Adkins isn't also on this list, I'm gonna be fuming.

I’m not versed enough in jazz to render an opinion so I’ll give what appears to be a classic 5 stars. I’d only listen to this as background music.

Back at the Chicken Shack This is probably my favourite of the jazz albums we’ve had so far. With the focus split between organ, sax and guitar and the clear crossover with soul it’s actually very pleasantly listenable. Back at the Chicken Shack sounds a lot like Green Onions, so I presume this was a big influence on Booker T. However this was recorded in 1960, but wasn’t released until 1963, and Green Onions came out in 1962, so who knows. To my untrained ear they are both 12 bar blues (please correct me!), and feature the hammond so I can see there is a lot in common purely from a sonic point of view, but I presume it may be a consequence of this album being a bridge between jazz and soul and also Booker T being into jazz also. Nevertheless nice song. When I Grow Too Old to Dream is a very nice melody and is played with quite a nice soft feel. I should dislike the sax, but I actually like it, it doesn’t get too far away from the melody and the organ works very nicely in the back of the mix, kind of anchoring it to the band. The sax blarps and dominates a little too much Minor Chant, making it a little too close to the stereotypical jazz sound I’m not keen on, although the keyboard is nice. Messy Bessie I really like, although again the sax is prominent it again feels much more melodic and less obtrusive than Minor Chant, and is only one part of the soloing, rather than the dominant part. The guitar is great, some little bluesy touches and a nice counterpoint to the organ and sax Overall I liked this, I found it a very nice listen, which isn’t always the case with this sort of album. I’m almost tempted to go 4, and although I will come back to this, I’m not sure how frequently, which I think would put it as a high 3. 🐓🐓🐓 Playlist submission: Back at the Chicken Shack

Man, an organ in jazz music is a fantastic idea!! This is like soul jazz or jazz-funk. Really hopping music. Excellent for a dinner party. Favourite songs: Back at the Chicken Shack, Minor Chant, Messy Bessie, On the Sunny Side of the Street Least favourite songs: if forced to pick, When I Grow Too Old to Dream 5/5

Funky.

You know I be vibing to jazz! Lol makes me feel like I’m in a smoky club

At first I wondered 'why does he keep going back to the chicken shack', but now I do in fact get why he keeps coming back to the chicken shack

Great Jazz album. Loved the guitar and sax especially. Great use of electric organ. Simple yet complex album. Dug it a lot

Fine but not amazing

Pretty solid instrumental track, but being an instrumental only project can get boring and feel repetitive at times. The solos can be entertaining and the album doesn’t have any “bad” songs on it, just not interesting or stand out enough to really warrant a spot on the playlist.

Easily the most hilarious album I’ve come across so far, other than that, it’s jazz. Can’t hate it, can’t love it 4.5/10

Better than Coldplay

fantastic jazz

just a wonderful album

There have not been many pure instrumental albums so far, and the ones that were close are ones that I wish didn't have the small amount of lyrics they had. Right off the bat I was finding myself thinking we need more jazz organ. It's a fun album to have in the background. Nice to shuffle about to and reminds me of baseball for some reason. As it went on, I retracted my thought about needing more as I think this amount is just right. I still like it just fine, but a little goes further than I expected. I can't say I really distinguished many songs from one or the other on the first listen, but had a good time from start to finish. Some jazz can get a little complicated but this is a nice steady bop for 45 minutes. Favorite track "Back at the Chicken Shack" (mostly because that's the one I know the title of) 4/5

This record grooves so hard. Just cool, funky laid back tunes carried throughout. Everybody in the group gets their turn, but I really noticed how tight the bass and Jimmy’s keys are on every track. The melodies haven’t stuck with me just yet but it’s definitely something I’ll revisit.

Really chill and easy listening. Surprised at how early this was too, I’m a fan

Pretty damn good Jazz album. Sounds ahead of its time

What a lovely, funky, jazz album! Really cool with the organ. Best track: Minor Chant.

Ganske fedt - for jeg læste om ham blev jeg glad fordi Hammond B-3 bare har så distinkt en lyd! Så det var sjovt at finde ud af at det var Jimmy Smith som gjorde orgelet populær i jazzzzz

Difficult for me to rate soft organ jazz. The music gave me warm and fuzzy feelings, and I would love to have this playing in the background as I sipped a glass of red wine next to some candles in a dim restaurant.

If this was playing in a stuck lift I’d be happy to wait to be rescued.

The pretty cool Jimmy Smith.

This was good but it’s hard to me to really listen to something that doesn’t have lyrics or very minimal lyrics.

This was the most boring music I've ever listened to. I would never have listened to it if not for it being on the list. I'm sure there's a good amount of talent and skill involved in the music but I was not left with any positive feelings. I know I'm harsh but it definitely wasn't for me.

Bon! Je regrette mon 5 étoiles d’hier! Sans renier mon appréciation de Café Bleu, cet album de Jimmy Smith est un délice! Déjà juste le titre et j’étais vendu! Ensuite 5 titres pour 43 minutes c’est vraiment mon genre d’album. De l’orgue et des cuivres qui crée ce sentiment de chaleur réconfortante. Le seul bémol; pourquoi avoir présenté cet album le 1er août? Je m’imaginais plutôt le 4 janvier, hang over des fêtes à cuisiner de l’osso buco au chalet, verre de Barolo à la main! (Je me suis amusé à demander à Chat GPT de résumer l’album en une phrase culinaire: C’est une session cuisinée à feu doux, mais avec des ingrédients puissants. Bref 6 étoiles et maintenant enregistrer dans mes favoris!

Lorsqu'il est question de jazz et d'orgue Jimmy Smith est mon homme. Belles passes de Kenny Burrell et de Stanley Turrentine.

Grand fan des blues mineurs, Minor Chant m'enchante. Me fait penser à d'autres grand comme Mr. P.C. Je connaissais de nom ce M. Jimmy Smith, virtuose de l'orgue jazz, mais il est pas disons au top du "canon" dans les albums jazz qui ont fait école. Ça me fait me demander ce que le reste de ce palmarès nous réserve en terme de Jazz. Où seront Parker, Jarrett, Monk, Hancock, Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Metheny, etc etc?! Bien hâte d'aller lire sur le band derrière, le saxophoniste me fait penser à Dexter Gordon des débuts ou Sonny Rollins de The Bridge (ah oui un autre album qu'il faudrait dans le 1001). Et la section rythmique est très smooth, présente comme un roc imperturbable sans trop de fioritures, typique du hard bop des 60s. Il y a un guitariste qui double parfois l'orgue côté section "harmonique" est-ce nécessaire ? Et c'est un guitariste un peu vieux jeu on dirait, peut-être le faible du band.

Love jazz organ Jimmy Smith is the man.

Smooth, great

Very good. Fun to listen to. Mix of blues and jazz.

This made me happy.

Great jazz album!!! I will listen again

If the fate of the world ever depends on blowing someone's mind with a B-3 Organ, this would be the recording to reference.

Let's go! I love this. Simple but good jazz. Love the organ. And I melt for the sax on this.

Jimmy Smith…that cat was the stuff. Great album, jazzed to the max.

I do like smooth jazz. The sax and organ work great together.

Some of the OG blues funk!

This is a good one

Absolutely slaps. The jazz i tried to play in my music days 5/5

This cat calls himself "The Incredible" Jimmy Smith, like he's Spiderman or some shit. It's not totally inaccurate. I first heard this record when I checked the CD out from the library in Aurora while I was in high school. I chose it purely based on the cover, and the name of the record. It's interesting, because this has been in the back of my mind for a while and I've been meaning to give it a listen lately. It's great. Support your local library while you still can.

It's fucking magic

Hammond B3 - what's not to like?

About as good as jazz can get.

Great

From the title I expected bluegrass. What a pleasant surprise to find some cool jazz/blues. I have such a weakness for Hammond organ. Easy 5 stars on this one.

Perfect for both background and active listening.

Great album. Cool laid back tracks. Perfect.

Never heard of this guy or his music. But I'm a huge fan of jazz and I love some good soft organ, so this was really relaxing to listen to. I'll be comming back whenever I feel angry that there's not enough jazz anymore

If I go to a barbecue joint and I hear this on the speakers, I know the food is going to be spectacular.

I listened to this driving home from work with blue skies and warm sunshine and I feel that was the right atmosphere for this!

Wild thang …..

v good, never heard of him before

I'd never heard this before and I just love the sound, the keyboards, and saxophonist especially. I'll be revisiting this certainly, and it had a nice relaxing vibe to my morning this morning that meshed well.

Fantastic 60s organ jazz. Only complaint about this album is its brevity. 5 stars.

Just beautiful. I loved every second of it. Perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

Loved it

1960. Jazz, soul jazz, hard bop !!!

Easy listening. Listen more often. Five stars

I've got plenty of Jimmy Smith in my collection, not this particular album though, but I did have a couple of the tracks. This is my kind of music. I could listen to it all day, and often do!

Terrific album, the organ is a highlight, and every other musician seems to be at their best also. This one should be shared and go into regular rotation

Outstanding. I loved it.

I’m in the chicken shack!!! Love it!

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. Not much to say to this one: just an organ, a saxophone, some drums, and an occasional guitar going back and forth taking little solos for 38 minutes. Is it sort of repetitive? Yeah, I’d say so. Did it affect my enjoyment? Not even a little bit – this album sets its tone early as an easy-listening dinner club style jazz album, and never raises expectations to a higher big-band level, so I never felt annoyed that each track was the same. It’s definitely just a “pop on and do whatever while listening” album. Why is it on the list? Well, the book explicitly says the following: “Redolent of church pews and skating rinks, the organ was once relegated to hip-free zones, a square cousin to the autoharp and accordion. And then along came Jimmy Smith, who turned his attention to the instrument in 1954 just as the Hammond company was unveiling its relatively compact new B3 model. Smith transformed the organ's lamentable image with his soulful synthesis of bebop, blues, and gospel, creating a powerfully grooving new sound. He spawned a new style of music—soul jazz—and a host of disciples who took up the Hammond B3 and formed combos.” So… yeah, I guess it’s just a revolutionary use of the organ as a soul instrument that defines this album’s presence on the list. It gets a lot of shine here, and while my brain went to the Monty Python intermission theme many times while listening, I can only say that’s kind of a positive. I enjoyed this, and I feel fine bumping it up to a 5, though I can understand the case for going as low as a 3. That’s the floor, though; these are really good arrangements, & it’s just too smooth to not vibe out to.

Great little groovy album

This is the kind of jazz I love. Jimmy stays rooted in the blues and doesn't overdo it. It is groundbreaking for Jimmy's use of the B3 but is still accessible to casual listeners. In the context of the time it was created and it's subsequent influence, I give it 5/5

Very cool, chill, got me through some tax return sorting

I went into this album being well familiar with the title track, "Back at the Chicken Shack." Knowing that song, however, really tricked me into thinking the rest of the album would sound similar: an organ-led groove akin to Booker T and the M.G.s. What I got was a straight, classic jazz album. The only song I didn't love was ironically "Back at the Chicken Shack." It's got a great groove but it's too repetitive and goes on for too long. The rest of the album is straight fire jazz, and I loved it. I want to add more Jimmy Smith to my listening repertoire.

Well composed. Fun and also mesmerizing at times. Easily digestible

Lovely listening, wish it was longer. I'll have to put it on the rotation for deeper thoughts but it felt lively and groovy throughout.

Groovy. Yet new

6/1001 It was albums like this that I was looking forward to hearing/finding when I started this list oh so shortly ago, something that I had little or no knowledge of, something band new, that just opened a new door of music for me. This album was exactly that. I have never knowingly heard Jimmy Smith, and this album was a delight. It was just smooth, velvety bounce of jazz that I was not anticipating. I like jazz but never ventured too far from Coltrane and Davis and a few other big names. I immediately dove into another 2 hours of Jimmy and I am loving it all. The 45 minute album felt like a blink.

This is very good listening. One of the times where I forget how long it has gone on and it's suddenly over.

Great music for an all nighter!

Stellar. Soulful, funky, jazzy. This is solid music.

I mean, this is incredible. Very easy listening. Enjoyable.

Rad and cool as shit. Nuff said. Must-listen #105.

Really great piece of music

Really cool!

too bad i can only rate this album a B3+

Awesome. Reminds me of Sandlot

Real grilling music. Listen to this.

Mentally I'm here, my Chicken Shack: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eb3BTFkxR9txV4VN8 Incredible record. The only downside is that this kind of music makes me crave a concerning amount of nicotine and whiskey.

Yeah I definitely like some tracks more than others, but absolutely no skips, kept listening on repeat all day, such a pleasant experience. 10/10

Really fun jazz record. Some great grooves, would definitely listen again.

What a great jazz album. Jimmy Smith’s organ playing is on point, but like I saw some other reviews say, that sax player 100% stole the show. This was a great rainy Sunday morning listen.

Best record cover and name. Could listen to this anywhere, any time.

Had to come back to upgrade this to a 5. Another true discovery from this list, I first listened to this album while driving along the west coast of NZ and have found myself regularly coming back ever since. Love the keys and the soulful tone and what a great name for an album too.

Thanks to the Beastie Boys, I was introduced to Jimmy Smith a while back. Let me tell you, he does not disappoint. Ever. I have picked up several of his albums on reputation alone and they've all been worth it. This is no exception.

I don’t like Jazz but I loved this. Brilliant album