Johnny Smith - Black Coffee

Like many of his ilk, Johnny 'Hammond' Smith enjoyed considerable acclaim later on in his career when he switched to Jazz-Funk, most notably under the guidance of Larry and Fonce Mizell. His earlier career, however, is not without it's own high spots, right from his earliest solo album for Arrow in 1959, Have You Heard. He joined Prestige in 1960 and spent a decade with the label, although he would also appear on the Riverside and New Jazz labels during his sojourn. Black Coffee was recorded live at the Monterey Club in New Haven in November 1962 and features Johnny on keyboards, Seldon Powell (tenor saxophone), Eddie McFadden (guitar) and Leo Stevens (drums) and was subsequently released on the Riverside label. With solid playing in the background, Johnny is at his best throughout. Hallmark.