Stuff Smith • Cat on a Hot Fiddle

Review by Thom Jurek

Recorded on two dates in 1959, this full-length by Stuff Smith features a pair of rhythm sections. One contains the great Red Mitchell on bass, the other the magnificent Shirley Horn on piano. In 1959, Smith had been on the scene for over two decades. And while he was well-known by the public at large for his novelty persona and his singing -- as evidenced by his 1936 smash hit "I'se A-Muggin'," this long-player aptly displays his stunning virtuosity as a jazz violinist, from standard jazz repertoire such as Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me" to "Strike Up the Band." His bowing is dizzying and the band pushed hard to keep up with him. On "Nice Work if You Can Get It," the tempo middles along but Smith swings hard in his tasty way. And Smith's vocal skills are showcased on the classics "Oh, Lady Be Good" and "Somebody Loves Me," offering a well-rounded portrait of a man who many thought was past his prime. Not so. This date smokes and is a welcome addition to the jazz violin canon.

Biography

Stuff Smith was one of the big three of pre-bop violinists along with Joe Venuti and Stephane Grappelli. Many of his fans said that he could outswing all of his competitors, and certainly Stuff was a major force on the bandstand. Smith, who cited Louis Armstrong as his main influence, studied music with his father and played with the family band as a child. His first major job and recordings were with Alphonse Trent's territory band in the 1920s, but it was not until 1936 that he had his breakthrough. Leading a quintet at the Onyx Club with trumpeter Jonah Jones, Smith's comedy vocals and hard-swinging approach made the group a hit on 52nd Street for several years; his novelty "I'se a Muggin'" became a hit. Smith worked regularly with his trios in the 1940s, but was in danger of being forgotten in the '50s when Norman Granz recorded him fairly extensively for Verve; Stuff also participated in Nat King Cole's After Midnight sessions for Capitol. The violinist moved to Copenhagen in 1965 and was active until his death two years later.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stuff-smith-mn0000919618/biography

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Reseña de Thom Jurek

Grabado en dos fechas en 1959, este LP de Stuff Smith presenta un par de secciones rítmicas. Una contiene al gran Red Mitchell en el bajo, la otra a la magnífica Shirley Horn en el piano. En 1959, Smith había estado en la escena por más de dos décadas. Y aunque era conocido por el público en general por su personalidad novedosa y su canto - como lo demuestra su éxito de 1936 "I'se A-Muggin'", este intérprete de larga duración muestra acertadamente su impresionante virtuosismo como violinista de jazz, desde el repertorio estándar de jazz como "Take the 'A' Train" y "They Can't Take That Away from Me" de Duke Ellington hasta "Strike Up the Band". Sus reverencias son vertiginosas y la banda se esforzó por seguirle el ritmo. En "Nice Work if You Can Get It", el tempo se reduce a la mitad pero Smith se balancea con fuerza en su sabrosa forma. Y las habilidades vocales de Smith se muestran en los clásicos "Oh, Lady Be Good" y "Somebody Loves Me", que ofrecen un retrato completo de un hombre que muchos pensaban que había pasado su mejor momento. No es así. Esta cita echa humo y es una bienvenida adición al canon del violín de jazz.

Biografía

Stuff Smith fue uno de los tres grandes violinistas pre-bop junto con Joe Venuti y Stephane Grappelli. Muchos de sus fans decían que podía superar a todos sus competidores, y ciertamente Stuff era una fuerza importante en el escenario. Smith, que citaba a Louis Armstrong como su principal influencia, estudió música con su padre y tocó con la banda familiar cuando era niño. Su primer trabajo importante y sus grabaciones fueron con la banda del territorio de Alphonse Trent en los años 20, pero no fue hasta 1936 que tuvo su gran avance. Dirigiendo un quinteto en el Onyx Club con el trompetista Jonah Jones, la voz de Smith en la comedia y su enfoque duro hizo que el grupo fuera un éxito en la calle 52 durante varios años; su novedad "I'se a Muggin'" se convirtió en un éxito. Smith trabajó regularmente con sus tríos en la década de 1940, pero corría el riesgo de ser olvidado en los años 50 cuando Norman Granz lo grabó bastante para Verve; Stuff también participó en las sesiones After Midnight de Nat King Cole para Capitol. El violinista se mudó a Copenhague en 1965 y estuvo activo hasta su muerte dos años después.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stuff-smith-mn0000919618/biography

Tracklist
1 Undecided 2:41
2 The Man I Love 3:45
3 Oh, Lady Be Good! 2:21
4 Nice Work If You Can Get It 4:06
5 Take The "A" Train 4:13
6 Blue Violin 3:06
7 They Can't Take That Away From Me 5:09
8 Somebody Loves Me 3:42
9 'S Wonderful 3:45
10 Nice And Warm 3:17
11 Strike Up The Band

Recording Time 38 minutes

Personnel:
Stuff Smith - violin, vocals
Shirley Horn - piano
Paul "Scooby" Smith - piano
Red Mitchell - double bass
Sid Bulkin - drums
Lewis Powers - bass
Harry Saunders -  drums

 

 

 

 

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