#28 Back At The Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith

So far on my musical odyssey through the ages, coming up to a span of seven years thus far, I believe that I am becoming increasingly well versed in jazz. With this knowledge now ranging from the great (Kind Of Blue) to the downright annoying (The Atomic Mr. Basie) I believe myself to have found a winning formula for jazz appreciation, at least for myself:

1) Do not truly judge until one track into the second exposure
2) Take no notice of the colourful artist and album names as they will only cause a distraction
3) Do not attempt to find a melody, let it just flow over you
4) Drink plenty of fluids

So what do I do? I completely avoid the first three steps of this procedure I have put in place and was immediately transfixed by the album cover and the use of ‘The Incredible‘ as to refer to the artist. Oh well, I have another jazz album to do next so maybe this will have been a lesson well and truly learnt.

On the first few notes of the first listen I was all too ready to write this off as a rather mediocre album that inspired neither elation nor misery. The use of the Hammond organ was also rather an odd sensation since the last time I was exposed to one was in the credits for an episode of Red Dwarf, and this wasn’t meant to be a positive reflection on the instrument. By the time I actually finished the first listen I didn’t really feel any hurry to start off the second listen. I actually began contemplating my latest project of forming a list of my Top 50 albums f the decade and thought of some methodologies to do so. It was only when I went to get myself a refill that I psyched myself up and decided to go in for another look.

So there I sat in complete complacency with this second listen being little more of a formality, and suddenly my foot begins to tap. This whole new laid-back attitude that was adopted purely by accident was actually a far more conducive atmosphere than on my first attempt.

On the whole Back At The Chicken Shack is a profoundly cool jazz album that definitely deserves more than a simple perusal but a good go. In the end, that is the only way that we truly get the greatest experience from an album, unless it is so shockingly awful that you get a migraine (yes Simba I am once again referencing you). In all seriousness though, this is a good jazz album that is definitely worthy of some time, whether you like the Hammond organ or not.

7.0/10

Fab Four:
There are two real standout tracks here, Minor Chant and Back At The Chicken Shack but since it’s a five track album, give it all a listen while you admire the noble chicken on the cover.