Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith made the Hammond B-3 organ a central instrument in modern jazz during the 1950s. His Blue Note recordings combined bebop lines, blues feeling, and the organ's powerful drawbar tone.

The Sermon! was recorded for Blue Note in 1958 and became one of Smith's signature albums. Its long title track shows his mix of hard bop, blues, and church-influenced organ sound.

Smith helped define the organ, guitar, and drums format, where the organist covers bass lines with pedals and lower manual parts. That setup became a foundation for soul jazz groups in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery are two major guitarists associated with Smith's organ-jazz world. Smith and Montgomery recorded together for Verve in the 1960s.