Paul Smith Discography By Derrick Bang

I've long been a fan of pianist Paul Smith, whose fiery keyboard technique absolutely dazzled me as a teen. I was lucky; I grew up in and around Palos Verdes, in Southern California, where Smith made his home and frequently performed, in clubs and restaurants within a fairly tight radius. I didn't catch up to him until the early 1970s, and therefore never saw him at The Hunting Horn (where he recorded one album, as you'll note below), but I did see him several times at The Velvet Turtle, when our family went there for an occasional dinner out. As the 1970s gave way to the '80s, I moved to Northern California and got married; my wife and I traveled back to Southern California on business once a year, and we always made a point of catching Smith if he were performing. I well remember one memorable evening at a restaurant in Long Beach; Smith and bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks were set up in the tiny bar area, in a corner with perhaps half a dozen small circular tables facing them. All were empty except ours, and we sat perhaps eight feet away from them. We literally had a private concert for close to two hours. If Smith and Middlebrooks were disappointed by the woeful turnout, they didn't show it; they played masterfully the entire time, graciously accepting a few requests. Mostly, though, I let them play whatever they desired ... which, obviously, was good enough. It was a magical, magical evening.

I was heartbroken when Smith died on June 30 (2013), although -- at 91 years young -- he certainly enjoyed a good, long career. He also performed almost to the last moment, although he had ceased to record roughly a decade earlier.

Given where he lived, I wasn't surprised to discover that one of the best obituary tributes was published in The Los Angeles Times. I was surprised, however, to find very little else. Granted, Smith flew under the radar, having achieved fame more for his work as an accompanist -- most notably an 11-year run for Ella Fitzgerald -- than as a leader of his own combos. From the late 1960s onward, he never toured with any of his own groups, and he wasn't signed to a major record label. That said, he recorded a respectable number of albums as a leader of various combos, from the early 1950s through the mid- to late 1960s, and those were on major labels; he later released an even greater catalogue of albums on a boutique label, Outstanding Records, from the late 1970s through the early 21st century. That's a lot of recorded music for a jazz pianist most people aren't even aware of.

The biggest disappointment, however, was the utter absence of anything remotely resembling a discography.

The little information available online (prior to this document) was woefully incomplete and frequently inaccurate, with respect to release dates, sidemen and other significant details. Arguably the worst offender still is Smith's listing at allmusic.com, which doesn't distinguish between Paul Smith the jazz pianist, Paul Smith the (much younger) banjo player, Paul Smith the drummer, and Paul Smith the (also much younger) contemporary Christian musician. Albums from all four are listed together, as if they're one single individual. The allmusic.com list also attributes several supposed albums to "our" Paul Smith that I'm pretty sure don't exist.

Not willing to tolerate this sad state of affairs, I decided to honor jazz pianist Paul Smith with the Web's first and (I guess) only official discography.

A few notes:

The information here is accurate, to my knowledge; it's based on my ownership of Smith's albums, and reliable sources such as Billboard magazine and extensive label production archives. Other Internet "sources" have been ignored. I've limited the following list to Smith's output as solo pianist or leader of his own combo. Documenting his work as a sideman, which remains a work in progress, is a separate list that can be found here.

Finally, while I believe this list is complete, I've been surprised several times -- while compiling it -- after following vague clues that led to the discovery of yet another album. I'll therefore cheerfully accept any additional information, should Paul Smith fans Out There wish to participate. By all means, contact me with any data that can be added. The goal is to make this the Paul Smith album database, and to that end I wish it to be as accurate as possible.

February 2014 update: Since this document debuted in the summer of 2013, I've learned of some additional albums and corrected a few mistakes with respect to sidemen credits. I'm grateful to fellow fan Ken Sumrall for steering me toward some of Smith's more obscure albums, most notably the three he did under two rather droll aliases.

July 2021 update: Kudos once again to Ken Sumrall, for calling my attention to yet another hitherto unknown LP ... which actually led me to a second previously unknown LP. Which makes me wonder what else is Out There!

September 2021 update: At long last, my effort to chronicle Smith's efforts under the leadership of others, or backing up a vocalist, has become respectable enough to post. Check the link a few paragraphs up.

Subscribing to the notion that a jazz musician is best appreciated when viewed on camera, I've found links to several short videos:

1) Wow! Canadian singer Gisele MacKenzie hosted a variety show on NBC from September 1957 through March 1958; her guests on February 22, 1958, included Smith. Check out their lively duet on "Chopsticks." It's to die for!

2) An hour-long concert by Ella Fitzgerald -- at the North Sea Jazz Fest on July 13, 1979 -- backed by Smith, bassist Keter Betts and drummer Mickey Roker. Simply awesome!

3) A lengthy and informative interview conducted by Monk Rowe, on February 14, 1999.

4) A marvelous video jazz masterclass session, filmed during the May 2000 recording of the album Jazz on Broadway, which includes a group interview with Smith, bassist Jim DeJulio and drummer Joe La Barbera, at the Kind of Blue Records studio.

5) A clip from the 2009 Palos Verdes Street Fair and Jazz Festival; Smith and his trio appear at 1:00, for about 15 seconds, and then again at 2:15, for another 30 seconds.

6) A brief home performance on his 90th birthday, April 17, 2012, with his handling of "Embraceable You".

7) Another brief home concert, this one on July 14, 2012, with a performance of "Laura".

8) Tantalizingly short excerpts from a concert Smith gave on May 19, 2013, just five weeks before he died, at the Grand Annex in San Pedro, California.

9) Shortly after the turn of the 21st century, Smith's good friend, colleague and record producer Earl Beecher began hosting a weekly interview show titled Adventures in Life. Smith was a guest on several installments, both as interview subject and performer. The episodes aren't dated -- more's the pity! -- but can be found here:

Adventures in Life: Episode 51 (a duo performance with bassist Jim DeJulio).

Adventures in Life: Episode 67.

Adventures in Life: Episode 136.

Adventures in Life: Episode 137 (with wife Annette Warren).

Adventures in Life: Episode 287 (a trio session with bassist Jim DeJulio and drummer David Tull).

Adventures in Life: Episode 288 (a trio session -- with bassist Jim DeJulio and drummer David Tull -- backing wife Annette Warren).

10) The cream of this video crop, however, is a magnificent 76-minute film produced by Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz, and directed by Marjeanne Blinn. This beautifully mounted documentary was made as part of the Palos Verdes Library District's Oral History Project, which serves to preserve the history of the Palos Verdes Peninsula through primary documents and conversations. The film can be viewed in its entirety here.

Onward!

---

"Paul Smith Quartet" Discovery Records DL 3009 (10-inch EP disc) No CD re-issue Recorded on April 18, 1950; released in January 1951

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Norman Seelig -- bass
Alvin Stoller -- drums

Song list:
"By the Fireside"
"Cupid Took Me for a Ride"
"The Great Lie"
"Out of Nowhere"
"Over the Rainbow"
"'S Wonderful"
"Wandering"
"The Way You Look Tonight"

These eight songs also were released as a series of four singles:

Discovery 45-136: "Out of Nowhere" b/w "The Way You Look Tonight"
Discovery 45-137: "'S Wonderful" b/w "The Great Lie"
Discovery 45-138: "Wandering" b/w "Over the Rainbow"
Discovery 45-139: "By the Fireside" b/w "Cupid Took Me for a Ride"

All eight songs were re-released in 1956, on Savoy's By the Fireside (see below).

"Paul Smith Trio" Discovery Records DL 3017 (10-inch EP disc) No CD re-issue Recorded on April 26, 1952*; released in 1952

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Sam Cheifetz -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Apart"
"El Cumbanchero"
"How About You"
"I Only Have Eyes for You"
"The Jumper"
"Laurilou"
"Pick Yourself Up"
"Together"

These eight songs also were released as a series of four singles:

Discovery 45-120: "Apart" b/w "Together"
Discovery 45-161: "Laurilou" b/w "El Cumbanchero"
Discovery 45-162: "The Jumper" b/w "Pick Yourself Up"
Discovery 45-172: "I Only Have Eyes for You" b/w "How About You"

* Although most of these tracks were recorded on April 26, 1952, "Apart" and "Together" date back to a much earlier session, on December 30, 1949, with a different set of sidemen: Bill Baker, novachord; Cal Gooden, guitar; and Bobby Meyer, bass. That session also produced a third song, "Eventide," which remains unreleased to this day.

Four of these songs were re-released in 1956, on Savoy's By the Fireside (see below).

An additional three songs were re-released in 1957, on Savoy's I Just Love Jazz Piano (see below).

"Mr. Smith Goes to Town" GNP (Gene Norman Presents) EP 6-1 (7-inch EP disc) No CD re-issue Released in 1952

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Don Whittaker -- bass
Alvin Stoller -- drums

Song list:
"Chicago"
"La Jolla Leaps In"
"Moon Over Miami"
"Manhattan"

"Paul Smith Quartet" Skylark SKLP-13 (10-inch EP disc) No CD re-issue Recorded on November 13, 1953; released in 1954

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Sam Cheifetz -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"All for You"
"C'Est La Vie"
"Cheese Cake"
"Crazy Rhythm"
"Fine, Sweet and Tasty"
"Got a Penny?"
"Hey, Sam"
"September Song"

This EP was re-issued by Tampa Records the same year, with a different cover (see next entry).

"Fine, Sweet and Tasty" Tampa Records TP-19 Re-issued on CD in 1991 (VSOP #45CD); also available via iTunes Recorded on November 13, 1953; released in 1954

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Sam Cheifetz -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"All for You"
"C'Est La Vie"
"Cheese Cake"
"Crazy Rhythm"
"Fine, Sweet and Tasty"
"Got a Penny?"
"Hey, Sam"
"September Song"

This LP -- pressed on both black and colored vinyl -- repeats the contents of the 1954 Skylark EP. The VSOP CD includes alternate takes of "All for You" and "Fine, Sweet and Tasty," also part of the original 1953 recording session.

At some point (one unverified source suggests 1959), Tampa re-issued this album under the new title Cocktail Hour, as shown above left. The item number remained the same (Tampa TP-19). Oddly, this version also received its own CD release in Japan, on May 27, 2009, as shown above right. It's also available via iTunes, where (as these words are written) it's $2 cheaper than the iTunes version of Fine, Sweet and Tasty. That's ... rather bizarre all around!

"Liquid Sounds" Capitol Records H493 (10-inch LP) Re-issued on CD in 2007 (EMI Japan) Re-issued as part of a two-disc four-album set, The Complete Liquid Sounds Sessions, in 2023 (Fresh Sound Records) Released in October 1954

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Abe Most -- clarinet
Julius Kinsler -- flutes
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Sam Chieftz -- bass
Alvin Stoller/Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"The Blue Room"
"Hookup"
"The Lady Is a Tramp"
"Low Bridge"
"Mountain Greenery"
"My Heart Stood Still"
"Spring Is Here"
"Thou Swell"

This 10-inch LP also was released as a pair of 45 RPM EPs:

EAP-1-493, with "The Blue Room," "Low Bridge," "My Heart Stood Still" and "Thou Swell" (image shown above)
EAP-2-493, with "Hookup," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Mountain Greenery" an "Spring Is Here"

The EMI Japan CD re-issue also includes four more tracks: "Blue Moon," "Gary-Boo," "This Can't Be Love" and "What Is This Thing Called Love?"

"Cascades" Capitol Records T665 Re-issued on CD on September 27, 2011 (EMI Japan) Re-issued as part of a two-disc four-album set, The Complete Liquid Sounds Sessions, in 2023 (Fresh Sound Records) Recorded in December 1954; released in 1955

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Julie Kinsler -- flute
Ronny Lang -- alto sax
Abe Most/Willie Schwartz -- clarinet
Sam Chieftz -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Betsy Moo"
"A Foggy Day"
"The Gnat"
"Here's to My Lady"
"Let's Fall in Love"
"Little Slam"
"My Shining Hour"
"Nice Work if You Can Get It"
"No Trump"
"That Old Black Magic"
"Why Shouldn't I?"
"You Are Too Beautiful"

"By the Fireside" Savoy Jazz MG-12094 Re-issued on CD in 1993 (Nippon Columbia SV-0225) Recorded on April 18, 1950, and on April 26, 1952; Released in 1956

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Norm Seelig/Sam Chieftz -- bass
Alvin Stoller/Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"By the Fireside"
"Cupid Took Me for a Ride"
"The Great Lie"
"I Only Have Eyes for You"
"The Jumper"
"Lauriloo"
"Out of Nowhere"
"Over the Rainbow"
"Pick Yourself Up"
"'S Wonderful"
"Wandering"
"The Way You Look Tonight"

This Savoy album gathered all eight of the songs from 1951's Paul Smith Quartet, and added four tracks from 1952's Paul Smith Trio: "I Only Have Eyes for You," "The Jumper," "Laurilou" and "Pick Yourself Up."

"Cool and Sparkling" Capitol T757 Re-issued on CD on January 30, 2003 (EMI Japan TOCJ-9473) Re-issued as part of a two-disc four-album set, The Complete Liquid Sounds Sessions, in 2023 (Fresh Sound Records) Recorded in May and June 1956; Released in November 1956

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Julie Kinsler -- flute
Ronny Lang -- alto sax
Abe Most -- clarinet
Sam Chieftz -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Alone Together"
"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
"Dandy Randy"
"The Grump"
"Have You Met Miss Jones?"
"I Remember You"
"I'll Take Romance"
"Kempy the Painter"
"Little Evil"
"Murphy's Light"
"You and the Night and the Music"
"A Young Man's Fancy"

"Softly, Baby" Capitol T829 Re-issued on CD on December 27, 2011 (EMI Japan TOCJ-50212); also available via iTunes Released in June 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Barney Kessel -- guitar
Joe Mondragon -- bass
Stan Levey -- drums

Song list:
"Blues a la P.T."
"Easy to Love
"I Didn't Know What Time It Was"
"I Got Rhythm"
"I'll Remember April"
"Invitation"
"Long Live Phineas"
"The Man I Love"
"Softly"
"Taking a Chance on Love"

"The Best of Irving Garner" Verve MGV 2078 No CD re-issue Recorded August 23, 1957; released in October 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[Unknown, possibly Ray Brown] -- bass
Alvin Stoller -- drums

Song list:
"Begin the Beguine"
"Clair de Lune"
"Cumana"
"Danny Boy"
"Jalousie"
"Lover"/"I Know That You Know"
"My Melancholy Baby"
"A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody"/"Always"
"Red Sails in the Sunset"/"Live in Bloom"/"Ramona"/"Too Marvelous for Words"
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
"Song of India"
"Stan Takes a Holiday"
"Tea for Two"/"You Are Too Beautiful"/"Have You Met Miss Jones"/"Cocktails for Two"
"Tenderly"
"Tico Tico"

This is a bizarre entry in Smith's catalogue: a "stealth album" that he recorded under the pseudonym of "Irving Garner" and then was issued by Verve as a "mystery release." For a time, jazz fans wondered if the pianist actually was Oscar Peterson, but Smith's identity eventually was leaked.

Although the album doesn't credit sidemen, a helpful correspondent (thanks, Bruce!) obtained a copy actually signed by Smith, which cites Alvin Stoller as the drummer. The inscription also reads "To Ray: You're my biggest and most faithful fan." It's therefore possible that the "Ray" in question was Ray Brown, who -- also possibly -- could have been the bassist involved.

It's worth reprinting the album's droll liner notes in their entirety, as written by "Gerald Cranston Link of The Times":

It's rare, and in fact no instance comes to mind, where the same city produces two such illustrious pianists as Erroll Garner and Irving Garner, and rarer still that the two have the same surname, but have no relation to one another other than an equally great love for the piano.

Irving Garner as yet hasn't made his mark in the musical world, but I'm sure after this album gets the distribution it deserves he will, if I may use a hackneyed phrase, become a household word.

Normally, in recording, pianists' sessions run quickly, but this album represents recording sessions that took in total point of time over three years to make because of the impeccable standards which Irving has set for himself. All told over two thousand tunes were considered by Irving for his record debut, and the final twenty-three were selected after recording over one hundred selections, and only after very careful listening did Irving approve these tunes.

It is doubtful that there exists today a piano player with a surer touch on the piano and a greater knowledge of harmonics than Irving. His knowledge of chordal changes is incredible, but even more so, his rhythm and his sense of time are metronomically correct to the point where it is doubtful if the tempo of any of these songs varied from beginning to end more than one-thousandth of a second.

Gene, the drummer accompanying Irving on this album, is also equally responsible for the wonderful tempos maintained by the difficult selections played by Irving, and his accenting at the proper times and places of Irving's pianistics is a joy to hear, for it's the true role of the accompanist to heighten and complement and make better the work of a solo artist, and for this Gene's playing was superbly correct.

A good friend of Irving Garner's, Leonard Throat, himself an eminent and world famous concert pianist, consented to pose for the album cover as a means of expressing, as he puts it, "my small contribution to the debt that the musical world owes Irving Garner."

For a rare delight, and at times possibly an even bizarre one, I am proud to recommend The Best of Irving Garner.

"Honky Tonk Piano" Tops L1509 Re-issued on CD On September 15, 1997 (Simitar Distribution 1156) Released in 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Unknown rhythm section

Song list:
"After the Ball Is Over"/"Take Me Out to the Ball Game"/"The Man on the Flying Trapeze"
"Bill Bailey"
"Honeysuckle Rose"
"I Love You Truly"
"My Wild Irish Rose"/"Sweet Rosie O'Grady"
"On a Bicycle Built for Two"/"In the Good Old Summertime"/"The Band Played On"
"Peg o' My Heart"
"St. Louis Blues"
"Sidewalks of New York"/"The Bowery"
"Tavern in the Town"/"Pony Boy"/"Ta-Ra-Ra-Bom-Der-E"
"12th Street Rag"
"Wait 'Till the Sun Shines Nellie"

"Irving Garner" wasn't the only nom de guerre Smith employed in 1957; he also released a pair of honky-tonk piano albums "with rhythm accompaniment" under the performance name of "Ace O'Donnell." Unlike the Garner album above, which occasional sounds very much like Smith, it's hard to extract his signature style from these honky-tonk novelties.

The contents of this album also were released on a pair of extended-play 45s, with a slightly different cover as shown above left. The CD reissue, above right, inexplicably borrows the cover image from the second Ace O'Donnell album, below.

"Honky-Tonk Favorites" Tops L1566 No CD re-issue Released in 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Unknown rhythm section

Song list:
"Chinatown My Chinatown"
"Comrades"/"Two Little Girls in Blue"/"Little Annie Rooney"
"For Me and My Gal"
"Girl of My Dreams"
"Hello Ma Baby"
"How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm"
"Kitten on the Keys"
"Mother Pin a Rose of Me"
"Nola"
"Oh, Marie"
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"
"She's More to Be Pitied than Censured"/"She May Have Seen Better Days"/"My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon"
"When You're Smiling"

This is Smith's second album as "Ace O'Donnell" and, as with the first, it's hard to extract his signature style from these honky-tonk novelties.

"I Just Love Jazz Piano" Savoy MG-12100 Re-issued on CD on July 24, 1997 (Savoy Japan, SV-0117); also available via iTunes Recorded on December 20, 1949, and March 1952; released in October 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Bill Baker -- novachord
Cal Gooden -- guitar
Sam Cheifetz, Bobby Meyer -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Paul Smith's song list:
"Apart"
"How About You?"
"Together"

Four named jazz stars share this compilation album, one of whom is Smith. His three tracks are lifted from the Discovery Records 10-inch EP, Paul Smith Trio.

I Just Love Jazz Piano also was released under a second title, Pianos: Down and Out.

"Piano Playhouse" Mode 128 Re-issued on CD on August 7, 2002 (VSOP Records); also available via iTunes Recorded on September 13, 1957, and unreleased for decades

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano

Paul Smith's song list:
"All the Things You Are"
"My Funny Valentine"
"Poor Butterfly"
"Yesterdays"

This compilation album, recorded by five jazz pianists in a single session, represented something of a "play-off" by Smith, Carl Perkins, Jimmy Rowles, Gerald Wiggins and Lou Levy, with each performer soloing on four songs and attempting to out-play his comrades. Although expected to be released in late 1957 by Mode, the label went out of business before the album could be produced. Happily, the session masters were saved. Sixteen of the 20 tracks finally saw LP release in 1986 (see image at left), on the VSOP label (VSOP #31), and the CD with all 20 tracks was released 16 years later.

"Delicate Jazz" Capitol T1017M (M) and ST1017S (S) Re-issued on CD on April 26, 2011 (EMI Japan TOCJ-50112); also available via iTunes Re-issued as part of a two-disc four-album set, The Complete Liquid Sounds Sessions, in 2023 (Fresh Sound Records) Released in November 1957

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Julie Kinsler -- flute
Bob Cooper -- tenor sax
Joe Mondragon -- bass
Stan Levey -- drums

Song list:
"All of You"
"But Not for Me"
"Chicken Wings"
"Cookie Time"
"Fine and Dandy"
"Fools Rush In"
"Gisele"
"It's All Right With Me"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"The Lady in Red"
"Love Walked In"
"Why Do I Love You?"

"Saratoga" Imperial LP 9095 No CD re-issue Recorded in November 1959; released in December 1959

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Rolly Bundock -- bass
Jack Sperling -- drums

Song list:
"Dog Eat Dog"
"A Game of Poker"
"Goose Never Be a Peacock"
"Love Hold Lightly"
"The Man in My Life"
"The Parks of Paris"
"Petticoat High"
"Saratoga"
"You for Me"

"The Big Men" Verve MGV-2130 (M) and MGVS-6135 (S) Re-issued on CD in 2014 (Fresh Sound Records, Spain), on a disc paired with The Sound of Music Recorded on December 8-9, 1959; released in December 1959

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Leroy Vinnegar -- bass
Stan Levey -- drums

Song list:
"The Big Men"
"Cheek to Cheek"
"It Never Entered My Mind"
"'S Wonderful"
"Suze Bluze"
"Tea for Two"
"Theme for Theda"
"Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf" (Part 1)
"Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf" (Part 2)
"Yesterdays"

"His and Hers" Capitol ST/T 1356 No CD re-issue (although it is available on iTunes) Recorded on June 9, 22 and 29, 1959; released in 1960

Personnel:
Paul Smith and Annette Warren -- two pianos

Song list:
"All the Things You Are"
"Blues for Theda"
"Carioca"
"Charlie's Song"
"Cumaná"
"I Want to Stay Here"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"Jewelry Box"
"Lover"
"My Funny Valentine"
"Pick Yourself Up"
"Wait Till You See Her"

This is the first of several albums that Smith recorded with his wife of 54 years, pianist/singer Annette Warren.

"The Sound of Music" Verve MGV-2128 (M) and MGVS-6128 (S) Re-issued on CD on June 17, 1998 (Polydor Japan POCJ-2585); also available via iTunes Re-issued on CD in 2014 (Fresh Sound Records, Spain), on a disc paired with The Big Men Recorded on January 8, 1960; released in April 1960

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Barney Kessel -- guitar
Morty Corb -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Climb Ev'ry Mountain"
"Do-Re-Mi"
"Eledweiss"
"How Can Love Survive"
"Maria"
"My Favorite Things"
"The Lonely Goat Herd"
"No Way to Stop It"
"An Ordinary Couple"
"So Long, Farewell"
"The Sound of Music"

This album generated a single -- Verve V-10203 -- with "My Favorite Things"/"Do-Re-Mi."

[Unknown title] Verve unissued Recorded on September 22 and 27, 1960

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Abe Most, Ted Nash -- reeds
Tony Rissi -- guitar
Rollie Bundock -- bass
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Alice Birdie"
"Give Me the Simple Life"
"Homer's Etude"
"In Other Words"
"Like Someone in Love"
"My Heart Belongs to Daddy"
"Night of My Night"
"Theda Rides Again"
"There'll Never Be Another You"
"Wonderstruck"

A Paul Smith Sextet session that Verve never released.

"Latin Keyboards and Percussion" Verve MGV-2148 (M) No CD re-issue Recorded on December 5-6, 1960; released in April 1961

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Bobby Gibbons/Al Hendrickson -- guitar
Tony Reyes -- bass
Milt Holland/Mike Pacheco -- percussion
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"A Felicidade"
"The Boy Next Door"
"The Breeze and I"
"Dancing on the Ceiling"
"Falling in Love with Love"
"If I Forget You"
"Let There Be Love"
"Nobody Else But Me"
"O Apito No Samba"
"Rhymes"
"Tup De Tup"
"Via Coches"

"Carnival! In Percussion" Verve MGV-4051 (M) No CD re-issue Recorded on April 24, 1961; released in 1961

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Joe Gibbons/Tony Rizzi -- guitar
Rollie Bundock -- bass
Milt Holland -- congas
Chico Guerrero -- timbales
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"Beautiful Candy"
"Can't You Imagine That"
"Direct from Vienna"
"Her Face"
"It Was Always You"
"Magic, Magic, Magic"
"She's My Love"
"Sword, Rose and Cape"
Theme from "Carnival"
"Very Nice Man"
"Yes, My Heart"
"Yum Ticky Tum Tum"

"The Music Man and Other Motion Picture Favorites" MGM E-4065 (M) and SE-4065 (S) No CD re-issue Released in September 1962

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[Remaining personnel unknown]

Song list:
"Being in Love"
"Goodnight, My Someone"
"Lida Rose"
"Lisa"
Love Theme from "Lolita"
"Maria"
"Marian the Librarian"
"Moon River"
"Never on Sunday"
"Seventy-Six Trombones"
"Til' There Was You"
"Walk on the Wild Side"

Slightly Latin MGM E-4032 (M) and SE-4032 (S) Re-issued on CD on March 25, 2008 (Universal Classics Japan UCCU-3087) Recorded August 4, 1961; released in January 1963

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Joe Gibbons -- guitar
Rollie Bundock -- bass
Chico Guerrero/Milt Holland -- Latin percussion
Irv Cottler -- drums

Song list:
"The Desert Song"
"For All We Know"
"I Could Write a Book"
"Malaguena"
"My Reverie"
"My Romance"
"Palos Verdes"
"Promises"
"Saturday Night"
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
"When I Fall in Love"
"You Stepped Out of a Dream"

It would seem that Verve decided to terminate its relationship with Smith at about this time. Although the tracks on this LP (and the next one) were recorded for Verve, that label chose not to issue the material; the music subsequently was picked up and released by MGM.

"Memories of Paris" MGM E-4057 (M) and SE-4057 (S) No CD re-issue Recorded October 3-4, 1961; released in August 1963

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[Remaining personnel unknown]

Song list:
"Angel Eyes"
"Ballad for Woody"
"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
"I Love Paris"
"It Might As Well Be Spring"
"It's Only a Paper Moon"
"Love for Sale"
"Lover Come Back to Me"
"Night and Day"
"On the Street Where You Live"

As with the previous album, the tracks were recorded for Verve, but that label chose not to issue the material; the music subsequently was picked up and released on this MGM album.

"He Sells Jazz by the Sea Shore" Warner Bros. 1596 Re-issued on CD on July 2, 2013 (WEA Japan WPCR-27329) Recorded live at The Hunting Horn, in Palos Verdes, California; released in May 1965

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Fly Me to the Moon"
"How About You?
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
"I Want to Be Happy"
"It's All Right with Me"
"Laura"
"Mountain Greenery"
"Satin Doll"
"Swanee River"
"Tangerine"
"That's All"
"What Kind of Fool Am I?"

"Brazilian Detour" Warner Bros. 1626 Re-issued on CD on July 30, 2013 (WEA Japan WPCR-27377) Released in July 1966

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
With orchestral accompaniment [sidemen, if any, unknown]

Song list:
"Brazilian Detour"
"Discover"
"The Girl from Ipanema"
"The Gnat"
"How Insensitive"
"The Lamp Is Low"
"Lullabye of Birdland"
"Meditation"
"More"
"One Note Samba"
"Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars"
"So Nice"

---

At this point, Smith apparently gave up on major labels. Two years later, in 1968, his good friend and colleague Earl Beecher founded Outstanding Records, an indie label based in Huntington Beach, California, with a mission "to preserve and make available to the public the music of world-class pianist Paul Smith." This noble sentiment notwithstanding, nothing happened for nearly a decade (!). In 1977, Outstanding finally began to issue the first albums in what grew to become a fairly impressive Paul Smith catalogue. But distribution was spotty at best, and would only get worse with time. The LPs were reasonably easy to find in Southern California, and somewhat difficult everywhere else; as a result, they remain prized by jazz fans.

Beecher discusses the origins of Outstanding, and the trials and tribulations of a label producer, in two episodes of his Adventures in Life interview show: Episode 5 and Episode 6.

Billboard magazine tracked Smith's early recordings on Outstanding, which is how this discography is able to specify some release dates. But even that music industry Bible stopped paying attention after the initial wave of albums, which is why clarifying later release dates is next to impossible.

The situation grew even worse when Beecher embraced digital technology and re-released the initial LPs on CD, and issued subsequent releases solely on CD; the label had no media exposure whatsoever as the century turned, and the discs became even harder to find than the LPs had been. Ordering direct via Outstanding (by phone or mail) was pretty much the sole option. [The company ceased to exist at the end of the 21st century's first decade.]

The aforementioned CD re-issues of Smith's Outstanding LPs are a bit eccentric, as well; details are supplied below, as we come to them. And, finally, Beecher could be a bit ... casual ... when it came to citing sidemen on Smith's albums.

Smith didn't record exclusively on Outstanding, moving forward from 1977; as you'll see, he also worked with a few other indie labels.

---

"The Master Touch" Outstanding 002 Re-issued on CD in 2000, on Outstanding OCD 102 and OCD 112 Released in January 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks/Monty Budwig -- bass

Song list:
"All the Things You Are"
"Alone Together"
"Around the World in 80 Days"
"Black Orpheus (A Day in the Life of a Fool)"
"The Fourth Way"
"Get Me to the Church on Time"
"Here's That Rainy Day"
"I Could Have Danced All Night"
"Lullabye of the Leaves"
"On Green Dolphin Street"
"Waltz of the Mime"
"When the World Was Young"

"The Ballad Touch" Outstanding 003 Re-issued on CD in 2000 (Outstanding OCD 103)* Released in January 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Body and Soul"
"Brian's Song"
"Evergreen"
"I Write the Songs"
"Marguerite"
"Misty"
"My Funny Valentine"
"Nadia's Theme"
"There Will Never Be Another You"

* One track, "Body and Soul," is not included on the digital re-issue; this recording exists solely in its analog format.

"The Art Tatum Touch" Outstanding 004 Re-issued on CD in 2000 (Outstanding OCD 104)* Released in January 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads"
"Blue Skies"
"Humoresque"
"I Only Have Eyes for You"
"Nice Work if You Can Get It"
"Over the Rainbow"
"Poor Butterfly"
"Tangerine"
"Yesterdays"
"You and the Night and the Music"

* One track, "Over the Rainbow," is not included on the digital re-issue; this recording exists solely in its analog format.

"The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2" Outstanding 007 Re-issued on CD in 2000 (Outstanding OCD 104)* Released in January 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Deep Purple"
"Fly Me to the Moon"
"I Cover the Waterfront"
"I Get a Kick Out of You"
"Let's Fall in Love"
"My Shining Hour"
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
"Sweet Lorraine"
"Tea for Two"

* One track, "I Get a Kick Out of You," is not included on the digital re-issue; this recording exists solely in its analog format.

"Heavy Jazz" Outstanding 009 Re-issued on CD in 2000 and 2002 (Outstanding OCD 109 and 152)* Released in October 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ray Brown -- bass
Louie Bellson -- drums

Song list:
"A Foggy Day"
"I Got Rhythm"
"Lover"
"Pick Yourself Up"
"'S Wonderful"
"What Is This Thing Called Love?"
"You Are Too Beautiful"

* One track, "Pick Yourself Up," is not included on any digital re-issue; this recording exists solely in its analog format.

"Heavy Jazz, Volume 2" Outstanding 011 Re-issued on CD in 2000, as part of Cool Jazz (Outstanding OCD 109) Released in December 1977

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ray Brown -- bass
Louie Bellson -- drums

Song list:
"Cute"
"I'll Remember April"
"The Lady Is a Tramp"
"Love for Sale"
"Samba de Orfeo"
"Take the 'A' Train"
"Tenderly"

"Just Listen" Outstanding 016 Re-issued on CD in 2000, as part of At Home (Outstanding OCD 122) Released in 1978 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Ain't Misbehavin'"
"Bluesette"
"I Won't Last a Day Without You"
"Like Young"
"A Time for Love"
"Willow Weep for Me"

Paul Smith's fans were encouraged, by hints on the back of early Outstanding LP jackets, to watch for The Rhythm Touch (Outstanding 013), The Liquid Touch (Outstanding 014) and Boogie & Blues (Outstanding 018), but these albums never appeared.

"Intensive Care" Discwasher DR 001 DD Re-issued on CD in 1987 (Voss D2-72933) Released in September 1978

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ray Brown -- bass
Louie Bellson -- drums

Song list:
"Chicago"
"Everything Happens to Me"
"The Lady is a Tramp"
"Lover"
"On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever"
"The Surrey with a Fringe on Top"
"Yesterdays"

This was heralded as "the first audiophile release from Discwasher Recordings," which promised a limited-edition, direct-disc experience: "Top-flight jazz musicians and state-of-the-art recording techniques take Intensive Care with new arrangements of time-proven songs." The LP was re-released by Italy's Pausa Records in 1984, and then on CD by Voss three years later, with a distinctly different cover (shown at left).

"The Alpha Touch" Outstanding 008 Re-issued in part on CD in 2000, as part of The Ballad Touch (digital)* Released in May 1979

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"An Affair to Remember"
"Everything Happens to me"
"Feelings"
"I'm Old-Fashioned"
"Invitation"
"It Never Entered My Mind"
"The Shadow of Your Smile"
"Spring Is Here"
"The Way We Were"

* Three tracks -- "An Affair to Remember," "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "The Way We Were" -- are not included on any digital re-issue; they exist solely on this analog recording.

"Jazz Spotlight Volume 1: Porter and Gershwin" Outstanding 023 Re-issued in part on CD, in 1995 and 2002 (Outstanding OCD 101 and 152)* Released in September 1979 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Nick Martinis -- drums

Song list:
Gershwin Medley: "Bess, You Is My Woman," "I Loves You Porgy" and "Summertime"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"Love Walked In"
"The Man I Love"
"Night and Day"
"What Is This (Funky) Thing Called Love?"

* Two tracks -- "Night and Day" and "What Is This (Funky) Thing Called Love?" -- are not included on any digital re-issue; they exist solely on this analog recording.

"Jazz Spotlight Volume 2: Ellington and Rodgers" Outstanding 024 Re-issued in part on CD, in 1995 and 2002 (Outstanding OCD 101 and 154)* Released in September 1979 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Nick Martinis -- drums

Song list:
"C Jam Blues"
"Don't Get Around Much Any More"
"Falling in Love with Love"
"Have You Met Miss Jones?"
"I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)"
"Mountain Greenery"
"Thou Swell"

* Two tracks -- "Don't Get Around Much Any More" and "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" -- are not included on any digital re-issue; they exist solely on this analog recording.

"The Good Life" Discwasher DR 004 D Re-issued on CD in 1988 (Voss D2-72937) Released in November 1979

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Barney Kessel -- guitar
Monty Budwig -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Boppo for J.J."
"The Fourth Way"
"The Good Life"
"Here's That Rainy Day"
"I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You"
"Madame Butterfly"
"Perdido"
"Send in the Clowns"
"Someday My Prince Will Come"
"What I Did for Love"

This album also debuted on Discwasher, but was re-released by Voss, first as an LP, and then as a CD, both with a distinctly different cover (shown at left).

"A Musical Cocktail: The Music of Duke Ellington" MCR (Musical Cocktail Records) Volume 7 No digital reissue Released in 1980

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano

Song list:
"Caravan"
"Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me"
"Don't Get Around Much Any More"
"I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)"
"I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"
"In a Sentimental Mood"
"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
"Mood Indigo"
"Satin Doll"
"Solitude"
"Sophisticated Lady"
"Take the 'A' Train"

This is an unexpected, late-entry find -- July 2021 (!) -- brought to my attention by fellow fan Ken. Musical Cocktail Records was a micro-label that released 15 LPs, more or less simultaneously in 1980. The series featured solo pianists interpreting the works of famed composers; one of the others (for example) finds Bill Mays handling tunes by Cole Porter. Smith was hired to do three: this one and the following two entries, devoted to Hoagy Carmichael and Josef Myrow.

(You'll note that they didn't break the bank with their cover art...)

"A Musical Cocktail: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael" MCR (Musical Cocktail Records) Volume 13 No digital reissue Released in 1980

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano

Song list:
"Georgia on my Mind"
"Heart and Soul"
"I Get Along Without You Very Well"
"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
"Lazy Bones"
"Lazy River"
"Little Old Lady"
"The Nearness of You"
"Rockin' Chair"
"Skylark"
"Stardust"
"Two Sleepy People"

"A Musical Cocktail: The Music of Josef Myrow" MCR (Musical Cocktail Records) Volume 14 No digital reissue Released in 1980

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano

Song list:
"Autumn Nocturne"
"Baby, Won't You Say You Love Me"
"Five O'Clock Whistle"
"Haunting Me"
"If I'm Lucky"
"It Happens Every Spring"
"On the Boardwalk (in Atlantic City)"
"Somewhere in the Night"
"Velvet Moon"
"What Did I Do?"
"You Do"
"You Make Me Feel So Young"

"This One Cooks!" Outstanding 012 Re-issued on CD in 2002, as part of This One Cooks (Outstanding OCD 112) Released in 1981 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Autumn Leaves"
"Cumana"
"How High the Moon"
"It's Only a Paper Moon"
"Laura"
"Lover, Come Back to Me"
"Meditation"
"Soon"

"Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads" Outstanding 019 Re-issued in part on CD, in 1994, 2000 and 2002 (Outstanding OCD 100, 102 and 111)* Released in 1982 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Annette Warren -- second piano (on "Malaguena" and "El Cumbanchero")
[Other sidemen not identified]

Song list:
"Chinese Samba"
"Dragon Rock"
"El Cumbanchero"
"If"
"Londonderry Aire"
"Malaguena"
"The Paul Smith Theme"
"Sea of Trees"
"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most"
"Storybook Ball"
"Therny"
"This Masquerade"

* Three tracks -- "Dragon Rock," "Storybook Ball" and "Therny" -- are not included on any digital re-issue; they exist solely on this analog recording.

"At Home" Outstanding 022 Re-issued on CD in 2000, as part of At Home (Outstanding OCD 122) Released in 1983 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Bernie's Tune"
"Cheek to Cheek"
"Cherokee"
"The Girl from Ipanema"
"I'm Beginning to See the Light"
"Wave"

"Paul Smith Plays Steve Allen" Pausa Records PR 7172 No CD re-issue Released in March 1985

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Again I Think of You"
"Alice"
"Last Night Was a Bad Night"
"Rio Tonight"
"Samba de Cha Cha"
"Samba de Oro"
"Snow"
"Sunday in Town"
"Tribute to Bill Evans"
"Whoop-Te-Do Waltz"
"Winter Theme"
"You Are Forever Young"

This was the final Paul Smith album released on LP.

"A Letter from L.A." California Breeze (Japan) PCB-8 No LP release Recorded on October 10-11, 1989; released in 1989

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ernie Watts -- alto and tenor sax
Oscar Castro Neves -- guitar
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Stix Hooper -- percussion
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"All of Me"
"Always"
"Body and Soul"
"Fools Rush In"
"Georgia on My Mind"
"Green Dolphin Street"
"Have You Met Ms. Jones?"
"How High the Moon"
"Let's Get Away from It All"
"One Note Samba"
"Pennies from Heaven"
"San Francisco"

This was Smith's first album released directly on CD; no surprise that this honor came from Japan, where he has been quite popular for the past few decades, and where several labels have been re-issuing his back catalog on CD.

---

Having abandoned the vinyl format, but apparently not yet willing to embrace digital, Beecher and Outstanding released Smith's next three albums solely on audiocassette (!) ... a medium that, if anything, was regarded even less favorably than vinyl during the waning years of the 20th century. These three albums are extremely difficult to find in their original tape format; fortunately, their contents later were (mostly) re-issued on CD.

---

"The Phantom Meets the Wizard" Outstanding 050 [audiocassette only] No LP release; re-released on CD in 2001 (Outstanding OCD 150) Released in 1991

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Paul Humphrey -- drums

Song list:
"All I Ask of You"
"Angel of Music"
"Ding, Dong the Witch Is Dead"
"If I Only Had a Brain"
"Merry Old Land of Oz"
"The Music of the Night"
"Off to See the Wizard"
"Over the Rainbow"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"Point of No Return"
"Prima Donna"
"Think of Me"

"Garnering the Blues" Outstanding 051 [audiocassette only] No LP release; re-released on CD in 2002 (Outstanding OCD 111 and OCD 151)* Release date unknown

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Blue Moon"
"Darktown Strutters Ball"
"The Girl from Ipanema"
"Honeysuckle Rose"
"I Got Rhythm"
"Mack the Knife"
"Mood Indigo"
"St. Louis Blues"
"Swanee River"
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life"

* One track, "Mood Indigo," is not included on any digital re-issue; it exists solely on this analog recording.

"Introspective" Outstanding 052 [audiocassette only] No LP release; re-released in part on CD, in 1995 and 2002 (Outstanding OCD 101, OCD 111, OCD 151 and OCD 152)* Release date unknown

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Beecher Boogie"
"Give Me the Simple Life"
"How Long Has This Been Going On?"
"Huntington Beach"
"I Remember You"
"Little Girl Blue"
"Moon Ray"
"Slow Blues"
"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"

* Two tracks -- "Moon Ray" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" -- are not included on any digital re-issue; they exist solely on this analog recording.

---

After (thankfully!) abandoning the audiocassette format, Beecher and Outstanding finally embraced the digital revolution in 1994 ... albeit cautiously. The first two Paul Smith CDs drew from the back catalog and were designed to whet appetites for what was to come.

---

"The Paul Smith Sampler #1" Outstanding OCD 100 Released in 1994

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Blue Moon"
"Huntington Beach"
"Invitation"
"Laura"
"Lover"
"The Man I Love"
"Misty"
"Mountain Greenery"
"My Shining Hour"
"On Green Dolphin Street"
"Over the Rainbow"
"The Paul Smith Theme"
"Tenderly"
"Wave"
"Willow Weep for Me"
"Yesterdays"

This "best of" collection features one track from each of Paul Smith's first 16 albums on the Outstanding label: the 13 LPs and three audiocasettes.

"The Paul Smith Sampler #2" Outstanding OCD 101 Released in 1995

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Autumn Leaves"
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads"
"Beecher Boogie"
"C Jam Blues"
"Cherokee"
"Get Me to the Church on Time"
"I'll Remember April"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"Like Young"
"Malaguena"
"The Music of the Night"
"My Funny Valentine"
"'S Wonderful"
"The Shadow of Your Smile"
"Swanee River"
"Tea for Two"

Like the previous disc, this "best of" collection features one track from each of Paul Smith's first 16 albums on the Outstanding label: the 13 LPs and three audiocasettes.

"After Dark: Romantic Piano" Fine Tune 1133-2 Released in 1999

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Barney Kessel -- guitar
Ray Brown, Monty Budwig -- bass
Louie Bellson, Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Chicago"
"The Good Life"
"Here's That Rainy Day"
"I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You"
"The Lady Is a Tramp"
"Lover"
"My Heart Stood Still"
"On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever"
"Perdido"
"Send in the Clowns"
"Someday My Prince Will Come"
"What I Did for Love"
"Yesterdays"

This compilation album cherry-picks the most "romantic" tracks from the earlier Discwasher/Voss releases, Intensive Care and The Good Life. No new material.

---

Apparently satisfied with the results of his two sampler discs, Beecher jumped into digital waters with a vengeance. His production output became ambitious, alternating discs of new material with re-releases of Smith's existing catalog on Outstanding Records.

That said, Beecher approached the latter process rather uniquely.

Rather than faithfully reproducing album contents as they had appeared on the original LPs (and tapes), Beecher often mixed and matched songs according to style, composer, presentation (solo, duo, trio) and other criteria. The results are a discographer's nightmare. As just one example, the next disc released -- The Master Touch -- doesn't simply reproduce the LP of the same name; indeed, the CD doesn't even include all 12 songs from that album. Instead, the disc's 14 tracks draw from two sources.

Some LP songs pop up on several CDs; other analog tracks aren't re-released at all. The contents of the Introspective audiotape are scattered among four (!) discs, and two tracks still got left behind. Similarly, although the Art Tatum Touch CD logically includes most of the contents of the two corresponding LPs, two songs are left out.

In a few cases, songs recorded in 2001, on CDs of new material, appear again in 2002 collections of mostly repeat analog material.

Audiophiles will note that minimal production care was taken with these digital transfers. Many of the earlier Outstanding LPs promoted their "direct to disc" origins, and one wonders if master tapes were skipped entirely. Whatever the reason, many (most? all?) of these digital compilations clearly are made by simply recording an LP being played; in some cases, you can hear the needle drop, the gentle whisking sound of the lead-in groove, and the little pops and scratches that betray the vinyl origins. This isn't an issue with the discs of new material, but it can be a bit distracting when listening to the compilations.

Finally, absolutely no effort was taken with the CD "jackets," which are single-sheet paper photocopies that sometimes fail to identify sidemen. In numerous cases, the disc copyright dates don't match the copyright dates printed on the paper data. (I've taken the disc dates to be correct; they seem more accurate.)

The upside, happily, was a virtual tsunami of fresh material; Outstanding's final years featured a massive quantity of new Paul Smith recordings ... and, for that, we can be grateful.

---

"The Master Touch (digital)" Outstanding OCD 102 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Alone Together" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Black Orpheus (A Day in the Life of a Fool)" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"The Fourth Way" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Get Me to the Church on Time" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Here's That Rainy Day" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"I Could Have Danced All Night" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"If" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"Londonderry Aire" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"Lullabye of the Leaves" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"On Green Dolphin Street" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Sea of Trees" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"This Masquerade" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"When the World Was Young" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)

The song list above indicates the Outstanding LP on which each track originally appears. This format will be followed for all subsequent compilations that are drawn from previous vinyl releases.

"The Ballad Touch (digital)" Outstanding OCD 103 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Brian's Song" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Evergreen" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Everything Happens to Me" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"Feelings" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"I Write the Songs" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"I'm Old Fashioned" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"Invitation" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"It Never Entered My Mind" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"Marguerite" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Misty" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"My Funny Valentine" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Nadia's Theme" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Spring Is Here" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"There Will Never Be Another You" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)

"The Art Tatum Touch (digital)" Outstanding OCD 104 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Blue Skies" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Deep Purple" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Fly Me to the Moon" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Humoresque" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"I Cover the Waterfront" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"I Only Have Eyes for You" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Let's Fall in Love" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"My Shining Hour" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Nice Work if You Can Get It" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Poor Butterfly" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Someone to Watch Over Me" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Sweet Lorraine" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Tangerine" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"Tea for Two" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Yesterdays" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"You and the Night and the Music" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)

"Jazz on Broadway" Vertical Jazz 5504-2; also available via iTunes Recorded in May 2000; released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Joe La Barbera -- drums

Song list:
"Falling in Love with Love"
"Hello, Young Lovers"
"I Could Have Danced All Night"
"I've Got Rhythm"
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
"My Favorite Things"
"On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever"
"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most"
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
"Where or When"

This is Smith's penultimate album for a label other than his own. You'll note that he selected many of the same songs that had become ubiquitous on his various Outstanding albums, but these are fresh takes; it's the only time he recorded a set (as leader) with Joe La Barbera.

"Cool Jazz" Outstanding OCD 109 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ray Brown -- bass
Louie Bellson -- drums

Song list:
"Cute" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"I Got Rhythm" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"I'll Remember April" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"The Lady Is a Tramp" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Love for Sale" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Lover" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"'S Wonderful" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"Samba De Orfeo" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Take the 'A' Train" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Tenderly" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"What Is This Thing Called Love?" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"You Are Too Beautiful" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)

"This One Cooks" (digital) Outstanding OCD 112 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks/Monty Budwig -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"All the Things You Are" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Around the World in 80 Days" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)
"Autumn Leaves" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Cumana" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"How High the Moon" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"It's Only a Paper Moon" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Laura" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Lover Come Back to Me" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Meditation" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Soon" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Waltz of the Mime" (from The Master Touch, Outstanding 002)

"The Touch of Elegance" Outstanding OCD 119 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"Alfie"
"Angel Eyes"
"Bye Bye Blackbird"
"I Wish You Love"
"It Might As Well Be Spring"
"Long Ago and Far Away"
"Lullabye of Birdland"
"Satin Doll"
"A Ship Without a Sail"
"Stella by Starlight"
"Sweet Lorraine"
"When Sunny Gets Blue"
"You Took Advantage of Me"

This is an album of new material.

"The Paul Smith Trio: 96/24/5.1" AIX Records AIX 80010 Recorded on August 31, 2000; released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
David Tull -- drums

Song list:
"Have You Met Miss Jones"
"It Never Entered My Mind"
"Just Friends"
"Lullaby of Birdland"
"A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square"
"On Green Dolphin Street"
"One Note Samba"
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
"Yardbird Suite"
"Yours Is My Heart Alone"

This high-resolution disc is both a DVD and a CD, with the impressive recording done at 96 kHz/24 bits and mixed in 5.1 channel surround sound and stereo (hence the project's title). Both audio and video are superlative, and the result is one of the finest recordings -- if not the finest -- Smith made during his lengthy career. It's also the final recording Smith made on a label other than his own.

"At Home" (digital) Outstanding OCD 122 Released in 2000

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks -- bass [not Jim DeJulio, as is incorrectly claimed]
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Ain't Misbehavin'" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)
"Bernie's Tune" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"Bluesette" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)
"Cheek to Cheek" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"Cherokee" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"The Girl from Ipanema" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"I Won't Last the Day Without You" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)
"I'm Beginning to See the Light" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"Like Young" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)
"A Time for Love" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)
"Wave" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)
"Willow Weep for Me" (from Just Listen, Outstanding 016)

"Jazz Solos for Piano" Creative Keyboard Publications MB93923BCD Published in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano

Song list:
"Annette, My Pet"
"Auvant's Guard"
"The Chord Connection"
"Don's Bomb Revisited"
"Example in D"
"Funky Punky"
"Jazz for 10 Fingers"
"Peanut Butter Etude"
"Pretty Fluid"
"Rosy-Posy"
"Speed Trap"
"Wildfire"

Smith wrote the 12 solo piano tunes contained within this book, and he also performs them on a CD that's attached to the inside back cover. They range from bluesy ballads ("Funky Punky") to lightning-quick finger exercises ("Speed Trap") in the jaw-dropping tradition that he made famous. Unfortunately, the listening experience is compromised by the presence of a clicking metronome on all tracks: handy for beginner pianists, but frustrating for folks who simply want to appreciate Smith's technique!

He delivered similar audio content for five additional Creative Keyboard instruction books, also published in 2001:

Many of the 14 solo tracks that accompany Jazz Exercises for the Piano, Volume One also are full-fledged compositions. Indeed, the first one, "Boppo for J.J.," is an abbreviated arrangement of a tune from Smith's 1979 album, The Good Life, while "Shades of O.P." is a slightly slower reading of a tune from his 2001 album, No One But Me. "The Mime," although a fast-paced sparkler, also is a slower arrangement of the lightning-swift "Waltz of the Mime," from his 1977 album, The Master Touch. "Snave's Lib" is a cheerful little melody; "Busy Bee" lives up to its title, as an up-tempo ditty that definitely suggests the activity of a bumblebee darting from flower to flower, and "Mosquito Ballet" is an even faster example of Smith's astonishing keyboard chops. "Surprise No. 2" is a quiet, thoughtful little ballad. Smith's right hand is on fire during the aptly named "Rollercoaster," which roars; the delightful "Samba DeWowd" has echoes of the oft-covered "One Note Samba." Other tracks are primarily technique examples, such as "Legato for Two Hands," "Rock Comp" and a trio of "Weak Finger Exercises." Alas, all are accompanied by a clicking metronome.

Jazz Ballads offers 13 solo piano tracks that accompany the written sheet music. Some are instructive exercises, such as "Registers," "Building on the Melody," "Dividing the Hands" and "Arpeggios and Rolled Chords." Roughly half, though, are actual compositions: lovely solo ballads, albeit brief. (The recording quality is a bit fuzzy, likely just a single microphone placed next to the piano.) The wistful "Just Pretty" is aptly titled; "Alan's Theme" and the contemplative "Dave's Theme" likely are dedicated to friends or family members. The whimsical "Love Is a Gleaming Fron" is a bit faster; "Harmony for MDs" is dramatic and chord-heavy. The poignant "Here We Are, the Two of Us" begs for lyrics; you can hear the title in the first two measures. "From Top to Bottom," finally, concludes the set on another thoughtful note. The cherry on top: no distracting metronome!

Salsa & Pepper offers 10 solo pieces in the salsa/bossa nova mode. Most are quite short, running barely a minute, leaning more toward technique exercises than actual melodies: "Bossa Swings," "Semi Latin," "Latin Rock," "Latin Fifths & Thirds," "Salsa for Lunch," and so forth. Two tracks are closer to actual songs: the lovely "Avenida Elegante" and the quite lively "12/8 in Rio." And not a metronome click to be heard throughout.

The 22 tracks on the CD accompanying Jazz Studies for Piano are strictly exercises intended to augment familiar practice exercises by Hanon and Czerny. As Smith explains, "These are meant to be more fun to play: more challenging in a modern way." Titles include "Interval Exercises," "All-Key Arpeggios," "Scales Galore," "Fourths for the Right Hand," "Puzzler for the Left Hand" and many more, concluding with the aptly titled "Silly Exercise." "Double Note Exercise B" and "Coordination Exercise A" are excellent examples of Smith's lightning-fast chops (and good luck to students attempting to replicate them!). One track is backed by a clicking metronome; the rest are not.

The 19 tracks packaged with Blues/Boogie Solos for Piano also are primarily exercises, although some -- such as "Basic Blues Type Choruses," "More Advanced Blues" and "Mel's Boogie" -- verge on actual melodies. The rest -- "Blues Bass Lines," "Substitute Chords," "4/4 and 6/8 Blues," "Short Boogie" and so forth -- clearly are student exercises. Again (and rather oddly), only one track is backed by a clicking metronome; the rest are not.

"No One But Me" Outstanding OCD 107 Released in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"A Foggy Day"
"Here Comes Ralph and Dick"
"How About Me"
"How Do We Keep the Music Playing?"
"It Could Happen to You"
"Like Someone in Love"
"No One But Me"
"Non-Stop Fingers"
"Shades of O.P."
"Skylark"
"Somebody Loves Me"
"The Summer Knows"
"That's Entertainment"
"Who Can I Turn To?"

This is an album of new material.

"Here I Am Again" Outstanding OCD 108 Released in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- solo piano

Song list:
"But Beautiful"
"Can't Help Lovin' That Man"
"Easter Parade"
"Embraceable You"
"Makin' Whoopee"
"Moonlight in Vermont"
"Once in Awhile"
"Out of Nowhere"
"September in the Rain"
"Stars Fell on Alabama"
"Strike Up the Band"
"Without a Song"
"Zing Went the Strings of My Heart"

This is an album of new material.

"Mr. Smith and I" Outstanding OCD 116 Released in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Mary Hicks -- vocals

Song list:
"All Right, Okay, You Win"
"Bewitched"
"Exactly Like You"
"Have You Met 'Mr. Smith'"
"How Do You Keep the Music Playing?"
"I Hadn't Anyone Till You"
"It Had to Be You"
"Just in Time"
"Love Walked In"
"The Man I Love"
"The Nearness of You"
"The Song Is You"
"That Old Black Magic"
"That Old Black Magic" (reprise)
"Time After Time"

"The Girl I Love" Outstanding OCD 133 Released in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Ron Brown -- vocals

Song list:
"Body and Soul"
"East of the Sun"
"For Sentimental Reasons"
"The Girl I Love"
"It Had to Be You"
"Mam'selle"
"More"
"The More I See You"
"More Than You Know"
"Night and Day"
"On a Slow Boat to China"
"Penthouse Serenade"
"Serenade in Blue"
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
"Unforgettable"
"Where or When"

"The Phantom of the Opera Meets the Wizard of Oz" (digital) Outstanding OCD 150 Released in 2001

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Paul Humphrey -- drums

Song list:
"All I Ask of You"
"Angel of Music"
"Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Dead"
"If I Only Had a Brain"
"Merry Old Land of Oz"
"The Music of the Night"
"Off to See the Wizard"
"Over the Rainbow"
"The Phantom of the Opera"
"The Point of No Return"
"Prima Donna"
"Think of Me"

Unlike all other digital re-releases, this disc precisely duplicates the contents of its analog predecessor.

"The Latin Collection" Outstanding OCD 111 Released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Blue Moon" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Chinese Samba" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"Cumana" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"El Cumbanchero" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"The Girl from Ipanema" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Huntington Beach" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Madame Butterfly" (from The Good Life, Voss D2-72937)
"Malaguena" (from Keyboard Novelties and Lush Ballads, Outstanding 019)
"Meditation" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"The Phantom of the Opera" (from The Phantom Meets the Wizard, Outstanding 050)
"Samba De Orfeo" (from Heavy Jazz, Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Wave" (from At Home, Outstanding 022)

"Going for Baroque" Outstanding OCD 121 Released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Joe Valenti -- trumpet

Song list:
"All the Things You Are"
"Embraceable You"
"Fly Me to the Moon"
"Hello, Young Lovers"
"How High the Moon"
"Isn't It Romantic?"
"Pennies from Heaven"
"Pick Yourself Up"
"Time After Time"
"The Very Thought of You"
"What's New?"
"Younger Than Springtime"

"Garnering the Blues" (digital) Outstanding OCD 151 Released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Jim DeJulio -- bass
Frank Capp -- drums

Song list:
"Beecher Boogie" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Blue Moon" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Darktown Strutter's Ball" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Give Me the Simple Life" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Honeysuckle Rose" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Huntington Beach" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"I Got Rhythm" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"I Remember You" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Jeepers Creepers" (previously unreleased)
"Little Girl Blue" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Mack the Knife" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Moonray" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"St. Louis Blues" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Swanee River" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Slow Blues" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)

"Jazz Spotlight on George Gershwin" (digital) Outstanding OCD 152 Released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Embraceable You" (from Here I Am Again, Outstanding OCD 108)
"A Foggy Day" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
Gershwin Medley: "Bess, You Is My Woman"/"I Loves You, Porgy"/"Summertime" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 1, Outstanding 023)
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"I Got Rhythm" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"Love Walked In" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 1, Outstanding 023)
"The Man I Love" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 1, Outstanding 023)
"Nice Work if You Can Get It" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Outstanding 004)
"'S Wonderful" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"Someone to Watch Over Me" (from The Art Tatum Touch, Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Soon" (from This One Cooks, Outstanding 012)
"Strike Up the Band" (from Here I Am Again, Outstanding OCD 108)

"Jazz Spotlight on Richard Rodgers" (digital) Outstanding OCD 154 Released in 2002

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[See entries above for sidemen details]

Song list:
"Blue Moon" (from Garnering the Blues, Outstanding 051)
"Falling in Love with Love" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 2, Outstanding 024)
"Have You Met Miss Jones" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 2, Outstanding 024)
"It Might As Well Be Spring" (from The Touch of Elegance, Outstanding OCD 119)
"It Never Entered My Mind" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"The Lady Is a Tramp" (from Heavy Jazz Volume 2, Outstanding 011)
"Little Girl Blue" (from Introspective, Outstanding 052)
"Lover" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"Mountain Greenery" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 2, Outstanding 024)
"My Funny Valentine" (from The Ballad Touch, Outstanding 003)
"Spring Is Here" (from The Alpha Touch, Outstanding 008)
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (from The Art Tatum Touch Volume 2, Outstanding 007)
"Thou Swell" (from Jazz Spotlight Volume 2, Outstanding 024)
"You Are Too Beautiful" (from Heavy Jazz, Outstanding 009)
"You Took Advantage of Me" (from The Touch of Elegance, Outstanding OCD 119)

"One More Time" Outstanding OCD 114 Released in 2003 (?)

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
Annette Warren -- vocals

Song list:
"The Boy from Ipanema"
"I'll See You in My Dreams"
"Lazy Afternoon"
"One More Time"
"Phantom of the Opera Medley"
"Something Cool"
"The Storybook Ball"
"Tea for Two"
"These Foolish Things"
"The Way He Makes Me Feel"
"When I Lost You"
"You and Me Against the World"
"You Make Me Feel So Young"
"You've Got Me"

"When the World Was Young" Outstanding OCD 188 Released in 2004

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
With orchestral accompaniment

Song list:
"All the Things You Are"
"Around the World in 80 Days"
"Bummy Bum"
"Get Me to the Church on Time"
"Lovers' Lullabye"
"Madame Butterfly"
"On Green Dolphin Street"
"Sandy's Samba"
"Spring Is Here"
"Waltz of the Mime"
"When the World Was Young"
"You Know"

Smith's final release on Outstanding is an album of new material, albeit with a twist. The 12 tracks include several tunes for which he is well known, mixed with some fresh songs. In all cases, Smith and his piano are accompanied by a full orchestral ensemble (musicians not identified).

"Charlie Parker for Piano" Hal Leonard HL00672553 Published in January 2008

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
[Remaining personnel unknown]

Song list:
"Au Privave"
"Back Home Blues"
"Blues for Alice"
"Chi Chi"
"Confirmation"
"Moose the Mooche"
"My Little Suede Shoes"
"Ornithology"
"Segment"
"Visa"
"Yardbird Suite"

Smith wrote transcriptions for several Hal Leonard music books, but this one's different: As with Jazz Solos for Piano, this one includes a CD that features the Paul Smith Trio playing the 11 songs contained within. Sadly, no sidemen credits are included, nor is there any indication when the music was recorded.

"Essential Jazz Magic" Stardust Records, digital download only Released July 20, 2013

Personnel:
Paul Smith -- piano
See original albums for additional credits

Song list:
See original albums for full contents

This digital download, available via Amazon, iTunes and various other sources, gathers the contents of three albums: Softly, Baby, Delicate Jazz and He Sells Jazz by the Sea Shore. The 33 tracks include every cut from those albums, with the exception of the live version of "It's All Right with Me," from He Sells Jazz by the Sea Shore, since that song also is on Delicate Jazz. Folks looking for a bargain will appreciate this package, since it's available for the price of a single digital album.

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My fondness for Paul Smith notwithstanding, I'm better known as Vince Guaraldi's biographer; you can check out all my Guaraldi pages at the link below.

The Vince Guaraldi index page