During his lifetime, the later organist sharing the name grew so prominent for his funky approach—and that manner of playing remained so cherished long afterward—that the near-complete overshadowing of an earlier Jimmy Smith within classic jazz becomes understandable, though still unfortunate. This Smith had belonged to the superb rhythm sections heard on many celebrated recordings by the bandleader and singer Cab Calloway, an era of syncopated music in which a string bass was not yet established as the sole anchor for the low end. Consequently Smith acquired facility on seemingly every low-register instrument capable of producing sound.
Even among his contemporaries this musician stood out for his achievements, performing and recording on the demanding bassoon alongside the more typical baritone sax, tuba, and contrabass. He worked as a house player at the famed Cotton Club, and his presence can be found across numerous compilations of material from the '20s and '30s as well as collections devoted to Calloway sides. While performing with Cab, the bassist shared the stage with distinguished rhythm-section colleagues including Leroy Maxey, Cozy Cole, and Charley Stamps, the final surname evoking the corrective measure bandleaders favor whenever such sections begin to alter the time.
