#tabsmith

Tab Smith – Crazy Walk

One of the great alto saxophonists to emerge from the swing era, Tab Smith had a few instrumental hit records for the United label in the 1950s and recorded extensively for the company. Crazy Walk is the fourth and final collection of all of his United recordings and, of the 24 selections, eight were previously unreleased. The music is mostly small-group swing, often with organist Sam Malone leading the backup group. While Smith’s playing of the time sometimes hinted a little at R&B, his gentle approach meant that he really was not a honker or screamer. The performances, which were meant for jukeboxes, are quite concise, with Smith getting in a few solo choruses before the songs end. Overall, this set and its three predecessors are enjoyable, and Delmark has done a perfect job of reissuing the now obscure music (Scott Yanow/AllMusic).