The Champ: Round 2

by Joey DeFrancesco

Overview

The Champ: Round 2 is the second volume of Joey DeFrancesco's tribute to mentor and Hammond B3 groove master Jimmy Smith. While 1999's The Champ was an entertaining and honorable tribute, Round 2 produces only patchy rewards even with the swinging camaraderie provided by guitarist Paul Bollenback and drummer Byron Landham. Compared to the first volume in which the initial freshness of the idea was more palatable, Round 2 suffers from slight stagnation (two versions of "The Champ" on this disc!) for the same reason. Following the late-'90s studio releases of The Champ, Goodfellas, and the live set Incredible, three discs that rely mainly on standards and jazz classics, this disc is ultimately disappointing, finding DeFrancesco repeating challenges we have already heard him acheive. ~ Al Campbell

Product Details

Release Date:	10/03/2000
Label:	Highnote Records
UPC:	0632375706128
Rank:	93955

Tracks

1. The Champ
2. Back at the Chicken Shack
3. Bayou
4. I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)
5. The Sermon
6. The Boss
7. Oh No, Babe
8. Hackensack
9. Greensleeves
10. The Champ (The Rematch)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joey DeFrancesco   Primary Artist,Organ (Hammond)
Paul Bollenback   Guest Artist,Guitar
Byron Landham   Drums

Technical Credits

Dizzy Gillespie   Composer
Joey DeFrancesco   Producer
Traditional   Composer
Joe Fields   Executive Producer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Pamela Xavier   Design
Public Domain   Composer
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Thelonious Monk   Composer
Jimmy Smith   Composer