Back at the Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith, 1963, from Back at the Chicken Shack. Solo by Kenny Burrell.

Burrell's blues guitar solo over Jimmy Smith's organ groove sits at the soul-jazz end of the genre.

Back at the Chicken Shack sits at the relaxed, bluesy heart of soul jazz, and Kenny Burrell's guitar solo is a perfect fit for Jimmy Smith's organ groove. Burrell plays simple, soulful blues lines with a clean, warm tone, leaning on bends, slides and repeated figures rather than complex bebop runs. The organ's swelling chords and Stanley Turrentine's tenor frame him, and his solo keeps the laid-back mood intact. It shows how jazz guitar could speak directly in the language of the blues. Listen for how Burrell lets each phrase settle into the groove, often ending just behind the beat, and how he uses short silences to create space for the organ's responses.

Back at the Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith is featured in our Jazz (#24) list. The solo is played by Kenny Burrell and the song was released in 1963.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Jazz Guitar Solos — #24
• The Best Kenny Burrell Guitar Solos — #5

Sources