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Wilton Felder on Jimmy Smith’s Root Down!

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,349
120,766
Metro St. Louis
#1


I don't know if I have ever a heard a bassist dominate a performance more than Wilton Felder rules this session. Jimmy Smith almost comes off like a sideman. Given that organists tend to love their bass pedals, I wonder how Smith felt about this record despite the fact it was a great overall performance?
 
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#2
Dr. Cheese said:


I don't know if I have ever a heard a bassist dominate a performance more than Wilton Felder rules this session. Jimmy Smith almost comes off like a sideman. Given that organists tend to love their bass pedals, I wonder how Smith felt about this record despite the fact it was a great overall performance?
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I don't know but he was an incredible bassist, especially since it was basically his second instrument. Jimmy may have felt freed up, you never know.
 
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#5
It is excellent. Our friend @pdbass did a great YouTube on this.



Jimmy smith in all recordings except this record is pretty subdued. Organ with an orchestra, organ does pop hits,
Organs does jazz but it's laid back (chicken shack). This is his only record where the sidemen really push him to go balls out, and it's such a great record. Wilton is a beast.
 
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#10
CalgAaron said:
That is one of my all time favourite albums. Wilton's solo on the last track Slow Down Sagg is one of my favourite bass solos. He really wails on it and stays funky as a hell.

Also, Paul Humphrey is a bad man on the drums. Check out his album Paul Humphrey and the Cool-Aid Chemist if you can. It's funky!
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I have to listen again, I was in bed when I listened last night.
 
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#13
Dr. Cheese said:


I don't know if I have ever a heard a bassist dominate a performance more than Wilton Felder rules this session. Jimmy Smith almost comes off like a sideman. Given that organists tend to love their bass pedals, I wonder how Smith felt about this record despite the fact it was a great overall performance?
Click to expand...


Love Root Down starting at 32:25, I had the CD, been digging on this one for a while now. Really fun to play along with it. You can tell the band is having a blast. Wilton Felder absolutely slays on this. Whole bands a-blazin' :bassist:
 
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#15
I do not what you guys are smoking, but Jimmy is never subdued or laid back. He is known for the whistle or scream where he pulls down the all levers on the upper manual , foot down on the volume pedal if he wants the soloist to stop or get out of the way and just lays down on couple of high notes or sometimes a smear, with the vibrato control pulled out. And he is absolutely killing it on this album. Yeah some spirited bass playing but geez you cannot ignore that drummer. He is the one pushing it. He is punishing that crash cymbal towards the end and as you know that kind of playing will wake everybody up. And he is has some amazing footwork on the bass drum that the bass player rides with and gives him the freedom. It is a great band but I disagree that the bass player was the one dominating.
 
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#16
logdrum said:
I do not what you guys are smoking, but Jimmy is never subdued or laid back. He is known for the whistle or scream where he pulls down the all levers on the upper manual , foot down on the volume pedal if he wants the soloist to stop or get out of the way and just lays down on couple of high notes or sometimes a smear, with the vibrato control pulled out. And he is absolutely killing it on this album. Yeah some spirited bass playing but geez you cannot ignore that drummer. He is the one pushing it. He is punishing that crash cymbal towards the end and as you know that kind of playing will wake everybody up. And he is has some amazing footwork on the bass drum that the bass player rides with and gives him the freedom. It is a great band but I disagree that the bass player was the one dominating.
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I'm not the best judge of drummers. I could certainly be wrong.
 
#20
Dr. Cheese said:


I don't know if I have ever a heard a bassist dominate a performance more than Wilton Felder rules this session. Jimmy Smith almost comes off like a sideman. Given that organists tend to love their bass pedals, I wonder how Smith felt about this record despite the fact it was a great overall performance?
Click to expand...

Root Down was a common tune at the Baked Potato Monday Night Jam Sessions for many years (and may still be.) Great tune! Those jam sessions gave many up and coming musos the opportunity to perform with a steady rotation of seasoned pros. As a budding bassist, my son participated regularly in those sessions and benefitted greatly at the time.
 
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