San Francisco Bay Jazz by Johnny Smith with friends Mark Holzinger and Chris Justin

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Jazz Vocals

12 tracks | 52 minutes

Released Jul 2006
on Johnny Smith

Click for a 30-second preview. All tracks are 192kbps high fidelity sound quality. Protected WMA $0.77 or unprotected MP3 $0.88.

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sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:18 I've Got You under My Skin lyrics BUY MP3 03:18 I've Got You under My Skin lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:18 I've Got You under My Skin

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:46 Old Devil Moon lyrics BUY MP3 04:46 Old Devil Moon lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:46 Old Devil Moon

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:37 All Blues lyrics BUY MP3 05:37 All Blues lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:37 All Blues

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:00 Is You Is, or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby?) lyrics BUY MP3 04:00 Is You Is, or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby?) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:00 Is You Is, or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby?)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:40 Fly me to the Moon lyrics BUY MP3 02:40 Fly me to the Moon lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:40 Fly me to the Moon

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:50 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy lyrics BUY MP3 04:50 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:50 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:37 There Will Never Be Another You lyrics BUY MP3 05:37 There Will Never Be Another You lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:37 There Will Never Be Another You

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:46 Come Rain or Come Shine lyrics BUY MP3 04:46 Come Rain or Come Shine lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:46 Come Rain or Come Shine

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:49 Moanin' lyrics BUY MP3 03:49 Moanin' lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:49 Moanin'

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:27 More lyrics BUY MP3 03:27 More lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:27 More

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:08 Song for my Father lyrics BUY MP3 05:08 Song for my Father lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:08 Song for my Father

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:20 Deep Purple lyrics BUY MP3 04:20 Deep Purple lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:20 Deep Purple

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A laid back colection of Swing and Jazz Classics, Recorded a stones throw from the San Francisco Bay. No one has ever done the standards like this.

Editorial review

An intriguing album of blues and jazz standards from Johnny Smith, a Bay Area guitarist. In tandem with another guitarist and bassist (Mark Holzinger and Chris Justin, respectively), there's a surprising amount of depth presented on an album that would otherwise appear to be just another entry in the long line of standards-playing instrumentalists that release on their own labels now and then. Here, the acoustic trio makes everything into a sort of downhome blues. Simply putting their own mark on the music wouldn't by itself really be noteworthy. The ability to put their own mark on the music, as well as deliver something entirely listenable is. Innovation comes in the form of regressing these classic jazz pieces back to a more primitive form, pre-horn, pre-piano. From time to time a harmonica is enlisted to augment the vocals from Smith, but even then only as a short wail is needed. Smith's vocals are deep and relatively thick, adding a bit of a nightclub tone to the proceedings. The pieces are handled tenderly, given their due reverence as compositions, and then promptly reworked. Miles' great "All Blues" is renovated into a rootsy blues riff, old Sinatra classics are given a little more jazz, but the vocals are still in the worldweary voice of the blues. The pieces chosen from the soul-jazz and hard bop repertoire seem a bit lighter than most, likely from the use of the guitar as opposed to harder-edged instruments. Nonetheless, a fair amount of soul is put into their performance, by way of Smith's vocals if nothing else. Overall, a surprisingly accomplished album, both classic and innovative simultaneously. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide

Bio / Background

With friends Mark Holzinger on electric guitar and Chris Justin on bass, Johnny Smith recorded "San Francisco Bay Jazz," the new CD was just released, July 2006

In short, "San Francisco Bay Jazz" contains a dozen tunes -- every one a winner.

From the opening vocal sunburst of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" -- with Smith's silky vocal matched chord for chord by Holzinger's singing guitar -- to the closer, the all-time Tin Pan Alley classic, "Deep Purple," here's Johnny Smith and friends having fun AND providing us with a wonderful listening experience.

There are other standards from the great American songbook -- check out the cotton candy vocal of Burton Lane's "Old Devil Moon" underscored by bassist Justin's tricky fingerwork, or the agreeable swing of the tried-and-true Bart Howard classic, "In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon).