Straight Life (Jimmy Smith album)

Straight Life
Studio album by Jimmy Smith
Released	2007
Recorded	June 22, 1961
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	50:12
Label	Blue Note BST 85192
Producer	Alfred Lion
Jimmy Smith chronology
Back at the Chicken Shack (1960) Straight Life (2007) Plays Fats Waller (1962)

Straight Life is an album by American jazz organist Jimmy Smith featuring performances recorded in 1961 but not released on the Blue Note label until 2007.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Al Campbell awarded the album 3½ stars stating

"Although not in the same league as Midnight Special or Prayer Meetin', it's great to hear this long lost hard bop session from the master of the Hammond B-3".

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Track listing

All compositions by Jimmy Smith except as indicated

1. "Straight Life" – 5:09
2. "Stuffy" (Coleman Hawkins) – 5:09
3. "Stardust" (Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish) – 6:03
4. "Sweet Sue, Just You" (Will Harris, V. Young) – 4:52
5. "Minor Fare" – 5:39
6. "Swanee" (Irving Caesar, George Gershwin) – 2:28
7. "Jimmy's Blues" – 5:43
8. "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn) – 4:59
9. "Here's to My Lady" (Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer) – 4:55
10. "Minor Fare" [alternate take] – 5:15

• Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on June 22, 1961

Personnel

Musicians

• Jimmy Smith – organ
• Quentin Warren – guitar
• Donald Bailey – drums

Technical

• Alfred Lion – producer
• Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
• Francis Wolff – photography