Laura Smith

Johnny Henry Smith II, born June 25th 1922, became one of America's most revered cool jazz guitarist. This 4CD set features eight of Johnny Smith's most potent, dynamic and rewarding albums on which he served as band-leader, recorded for the Roost label between 1955 and 1960. Containing all of this most underrated Jazz master's finest compositions and performances, the collection will work equally well for those new to Smith's music and those who merely require a delightful reminder of his most extraordinary work and most unusual talent.

Paul Smith is well-known to jazz fans for his sterling accompaniment on a number of Ella Fitzgerald's best albums, particularly Ella in Berlin. But the veteran pianist has recorded quite a bit on his own, though few of his LPs (like this Warner Bros. album from the 1960s) have been reissued on CD. Joining him on this trio date are bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks (who worked alongside Smith with Ella) and drummer Frank Capp. The music swings throughout this live session taped at the Hunting Horn, mixing numerous standards (including a romp through "Laura"), overlooked gems (such as a furious but intricate rendition of Rodgers & Hart's "Mountain Greenery" that reveals Smith's love of classical music), and imaginative treatments of current pop tunes such as "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Fly Me to the Moon"…