Jazz Organist Jimmy Smith Dies

One of my long-time favorite masters of the Hammond B3 organ Jimmy Smith Died yesterday. He was definitely getting old and died doing what he loved. The last time I saw him, at Yoshi's in Oakland a couple years ago, he had just been released from the hospital for a heart attack or something. He was still getting into his music so much I thought he might not make it through the gig. Thankfully he made it through that one and many more.

My favorite Jimmy Smith album has got to be Root Down Live!. I've also got a great CD of christmas music he did, called Christmas Cookin' that I play every year around the holidays. We're sorry to see you go Jimmy, but you will always be rememberd.

Put your root down!