Back at the Chicken Shack is one of organist
Jimmy Smith's classic Blue Note sessions, and the first to draw attention to tenor saxophonist
Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1960 with
Kenny Burrell on guitar,
Donald Bailey on drums, and
Turrentine, the group reaches the peak of funky soul jazz that all other challengers of the genre would have to live up to. Included on this uptempo session is a reworking of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (a feature for
Turrentine),
Turrentine's "Minor Chant," two
Smith compositions, "Messy Bessie" as well as the set's notable title cut.
Smith's
Midnight Special album was recorded at these same sessions, and is also exceptional. [Some reissues add a bonus track, "On the Sunny Side of the Street."]