March 7, 2019
Standards is a 12-track collection that is culled from the sessions that resulted in the House Party and Home Cookin’ albums, both of which featured Jimmy Smith in a trio with guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Donald Bailey. All of the songs are familiar standards along the lines of “Bye Bye Blackbird,” “I’m Just a Lucky So and So,” “September Song,” “Mood Indigo” and “It Might As Well Be Spring,” and seven of the tracks are previously unreleased. Throughout the album, the trio is relaxed and laidback, resulting in a warm, inviting collection of standards. It’s among Smith’s mellowest recordings, and it’s all the better for it.
