Here is an article quoted from *Hammond Times* Volume 26 Number 2 
(July-August 1964) Written by Jimmy Smith entitled "Incredible!"

My first Hammond Organ was bought ten years ago. I was playing piano in 
small bands around Philadelphia and was so impressed with the incredible 
number and variety of sounds you can get with the Hammond that I couldn't 
rest until I had my own.

I never did take lessons, just taught myself. First, I learned about the 
drawbars and what each one stood for. As time passed, I experimented trying 
out all the different sounds. Next came the presets. I tried them out too 
but I don't use them very much except when playing ballads or something 
sweet and soft.

When it came to the  foot pedals, I made a chart of them and put it on the 
wall in front of me wo I wouldn't have to look down. My  first method was 
just using the toe. In the earlier days I was a tap dancer so the transition 
to heel and toe playing was made without too much trouble. One thing I 
learned was that you have to have a relaxed ankle. I would write out 
different bass lines to try for different tempi in order to relax the ankle. 
One useful learning technique was to put my favorite records on and then 
play the bass line along with them to see if I could play the pedals without 
looking down and only occasionally using my chart on the wall. This worked 
out fine.

When you are properly co-ordinated, you get an even flow in the bass. Most 
often, organists are uneven in their playing of the pedals, heavy here and 
light there.

Soon I was putting hands and feet together and achieving co-ordination.

My first job with the organ was at a Philadelphia supper club, playing a duo 
with drums. It was here I began further experimentation with different 
drawbar settings and using different effects and dynamics. It was before 
these audiences that the Jimmy Smith sound evolved.

People always ask me about this  sound. This probably is best explained in 
my approach to the organ. While others think of the organ as a full 
orchestra, I think of it as a horn. I've always been an admirer of Charlie 
Parker. . .and I try to sound like him. I wanted that single-line sound like 
a trumpet, a tenor or an alto saxophone.

Shortly afterward, I recorded for Blue Note and my records began to get 
popular. After seven years with Blue Note (and twenty-one LP's later) I 
moved to MGM records. My first big record for them was "Walk on the Wild 
Side," from the movie of the same name. On this record I used a sole setting 
of 88 8000 001 on the upper manual on B preset, vibrato off, and percussion 
on.

After much harassment from fellow organists, fans, and musicians it is my 
intention to publish an organ book. This book will show musically exactly 
what I find very difficult to explain editorially.

Ever since I was a child, I wanted to play the better type of music, even 
classics. I haven't done anything like that, but I'm going to. I'm going to 
scare a lot of people with the incredible number of tones on the Hammond 
Organ before I die.


Copyright 1964, Hammond Organ Company, Chicago, Illinois