Minor Chant

Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Jimmy Smith (Hammond B-3 organ) and Donald Bailey (drums). From the album Back at the Chicken Shack (1963).

Soul jazz is a branch of hard bop and was the most popular jazz style of the 1960s. It is distinguished from bebop and hard bop in that the emphasis is placed on the rhythm. Although the soloists respect the harmony of the chords as in bebop, the bass lines dance instead of following the 4/4 meter of walking. The musicians create their accompaniment based on the bass line and, although the melodies are usually intense, the success of the rendition is decided by the stickiness of the rhythm and the warmth generated by the soloists.

The roots of soul jazz go back to pianist Horace Silver, whose funky style introduced the influence of blues, gospel and church music into bebop. The song that mixed this hybrid sound was “The Preacher” by Silver, but although Alfred Lion, founder and director of Blue Note Records, was not happy with its release, sales skyrocketed and Lion started recording similar tracks. Other companies followed his example and gained fame thanks to jukeboxes and radio. Many critics rejected this style, but the listeners responded enthusiastically.

Smith makes a short introduction with Bailey and Turrentine enters to expose the theme, which consists of a medium tempo phrase that repeats over and over again, then changes the sentence to play the bridge, and ends with the original phrase. After that, he begins an extensive solo with spontaneous and creative ideas following the rhythm with impetus. He performs with serenity and confidence what he is playing by creating eloquent melodies. Smith follows with a stimulating melodic line using unusual phrases to which you have to accustom the ear. Turrentine comes back to exchange four-bar solos with Bailey, who plays frantically, as if his life were in it. To finish, the group re-exposes the theme with great pleasure fading out.