Organ Grinder’s Swing (Top) was recorded at the Vienne Jazz Festival on July 7, 1993 in Vienne, France. They rattled the cobblestones in the streets of that quaint old town with the likes of Jimmy on the Hammond, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Herman Riley playing tenor and Grady Tate at the drums. Also in 1993, Smith performed Walk On The Wild Side with The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band In a special salute to the Jazz Masters. We’re more used to hearing collaborations with Oliver Nelson on big band arrangements but the quartet merged equally well with the Carnegie group, as you can hear (Below, left).
While we don’t usually think of Elmer Bernstein when speaking of jazz, I’ve included the credits opening and original rendition of Walk On The Wild Side (Below, right) … because it may just be the greatest opening a motion picture ever had! Well-l-l-l, it certainly rates up there.
