Blue Note co-founder Francis Wolff once recalled: ‘I first heard Jimmy Smith at Smalls’ Paradise in January of 1956. It was his first gig in New York. He was a stunning sight. A man in convulsions, face contorted, crouched over in apparent agony, his fingers flying, his feet dancing over the pedals. The air was filled with waves of sound I had never heard before.’ After discovering Smith, Alfred Lion recorded the Hammond B3 organ virtuoso no less than 14 times in 1956-57, including this tremendous live album captured at the legendary Harlem club that finds Smith in a trio setting with guitarist Eddie McFadden and drummer Donald Bailey stretching out on 3 standards (‘After Hours,’ ‘My Funny Valentine’ & ‘Laura’) plus Smith’s Thelonious Monk tribute ‘Slightly Monkish.’

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.