‘Rebirth’ at its best when
J. Lo keeps it on dance floor

“Legacy,” Joey DeFrancesco with Jimmy Smith
Jazz organ legend Jimmy Smith died at age 79 shortly before the release of this CD, making this a fitting coda to the recording career of a pioneering musician who turned the Hammond B-3 organ from a novelty to a legitimate instrument in jazz. He blended bebop, R&B, blues and gospel influences into his own trademark soul jazz sound. This was originally billed as the first studio recording pairing Smith with his 34-year-old disciple Joey DeFrancesco, who helped spur a revival of interest in jazz organ in the 1990s and guided the Hammond-Suzuki company to introduce a new model B-3 for the digital age. But with Smith’s death, it now represents a passing of the torch between generations of jazz organists.

Smith does not coast through what turned out to be his last recording, especially as DeFrancesco is constantly there to engage him in inspiring musical dialogue, switching between B-3, piano and electronic keyboard to add variety to their dialogue. DeFrancesco’s piano playing is prominently featured in his modern composition, “Legacy,” influenced by John Coltrane, in which Smith’s organ also interacts with gongs and electric sitar. Smith’s classic uptempo “Back At The Chicken Shack” is spiced up with a Latin percussion beat, while tenor sax great James Moody adds some fire to “Jones’n for Elvin,” a bebop-rooted tribute to the late drummer Elvin Jones.

The organists turn down the heat for some more delicate interplay on the ballad “I’ll Close My Eyes” and a mellow reading of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa nova “Corcovado.” But most of the numbers set the sparks flying — the funky “I’ve Got My Mojo Working” with Smith’s raspy and off-color vocals; Sonny Rollins’ Caribbean-accented standard “St. Thomas”; and the improvised “Blues for Bobby C.”

The CD concludes with another of Smith’s old soul jazz hits, “Midnight Special,” which appropriately features both Smith and DeFrancesco getting in the groove on their Hammonds with guitarist Paul Bollenback adding some bluesy licks. The tune closes with some light-hearted scat singing that ends with Smith proclaiming almost prophetically “Amen” before one last blazing organ coda.
— Charles J. Gans

“Dream,” BeBe Winans
The title of BeBe Winans’ new album, “Dream,” plays off verses from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Winans made the lyrics his own by placing them atop a catchy relaxing slow tune for a solid song. The simple sound of the acoustic guitar accompanied by piano and drum help depict a vivid picture of the struggles of the civil rights era.

Other strong songs on the projects are “When You Pray,” an upbeat inspirational track with a foot-tapping and hand-clapping groove, and “Love Thang,” a tribute to his daughter from his live project in 2000. But the one song thats sure to win over most listeners is his duet with neo-soul songstress Angie Stone, “Miracle of Love.” This song is old school R&B thats reminiscent of the duets of Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack.

“Dream” is a cool Christian contemporary album that Winans faithful following will definitely enjoy.
— Chris Jones

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