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In A Plain Brown Wrapper
  front cover   side a

1
5
J

2
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3
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4

Recession Or Depression
3:24
Larry Williams

Jimmy Smith Is A Midnight Cowboy
4:20
Larry Williams

Freedom And Justice
4:36
Larry Williams

Zodiac Song
8:54
Larry Williams

  
  back cover   side b

1
5
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2
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3
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4

Number One
3:43
Larry Williams

Love Is Mission Impossible
6:00
Larry Williams

No Substitute For Love
4:48
Larry Williams

I Don't Know
6:05
Larry Williams

  
  label a  

recording dates

studio


label

cat no.

  

unknown


MGM Recording Studios, Hollywood, California

Verve

V6-8800

  

PERSONNEL
organ & vocal
Jimmy Smith
  
     
arranger
  

Larry Williams
Dave Blumberg (strings and horns)

  
     

 

  

band unknown

  
  TECH  
producer
   Larry Williams  
  label b  
engineer
  

Jack Hunt

  
REISSUES label   year   cat no.      
    none known              
REVIEW   Another album, another style. From this vantage point, it's something of a mystery as to what was going on with Jimmy Smith's career here. Was he getting restless with what he was playing, or was Verve behind the continually changing styles, fearing declining sales? Was the chopping and changing, in fact, causing declining sales? It's not an answer that is easy to find. The results, however, are a schizophrenic series of albums. No one style is adhered to for more than one album at a time. Take this one, for example. Previously, I'm Gon' Git Myself Together saw Jimmy's first move into jazz funk, with a heavy rockish sound. This time he's moved entirely into funk, but it sounds nothing like the funk of the previous album. There is no evolution at all, which does cause many of the above questions to arise. That aside, it is a funky album and rather a rare one, although one that has so much of Larry Williams stamp on it (he writes, arranges and produces here) as to make it seem more of a joint album. The biggest shock is that Jimmy sings on every song, which was a first and something never to be repeated. As far as old jazz hands adapting to the funk, it's a pretty good album. In terms of Jimmy's overall career, it is a lesser effort. If you like the funk and you like Jimmy, you'll probably get a kick out of it.