Stuff Smith

Jazz violinist Stuff Smith moved to Copenhagen in 1965, spending the last two years of his life there in an environment where his music was truly appreciated. This compilation from Storyville Records features live radio broadcasts and parts of a Copenhagen club set in what is essentially a sampler of two previous albums released by Storyville in 1965, Hot Violins, which featured Smith with fellow violinists Svend Asmussen and Poul Olsen (in separate duo sessions), and Live at the Montmartre, which captures Smith with the Kenny Drew Trio (Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Alex Riel). Even cobbled together like this, the sequence is fun and vibrant, with great versions of "Caravan," "Only Time Will Tell," "One O'Clock Jump," and a particularly delightful rendition of "Take the 'A' Train." ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide