Jubu Smith Jubu

July 24, 2024

Jubu Smith

Jubu

Little Village Foundation

John “Jubu” Smith has worked as a sideman for 41 years, at the age of four he began as a harmony singer in his father’s gospel quartet. He later added bass, and guitar to his resume. At the age of 19, he embarked on a decade-long tenure as the guitarist for Tony Toni Tone, captivating audiences with his infectious rhythms and soulful melodies. Soon he embarked on a prestigious world tour with Whitney Houston, further cementing his reputation as a sought-after musician. For the past 15 years, Jubu has been a constant presence on the international scene with his performances alongside Frankie Beverly & Maze. Jubu has lent his talents to numerous recording sessions with George Duke, George Benson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Boys II Men, and Mary J. Blige, while still fronting Legally Blynd and the Jubu Smith Experience.

This all instrumental album includes eight songs written by the trio of guitarist Jubu, hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter, and drummer Calvin Napper. The album is produced by Hunter and recorded and mixed by Benjy Johnson at the Eartones Studios in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“Hamster Wheel” opens this mostly funky album, while “Jubu’s Poem” is a deeply sentimental ode. “Carroll Drive” is a tribute to Howard Carroll the lead guitarist and baritone vocalist for The Dixie Hummingbirds. “Kwik-Way Nostalgia” includes Jubu’s brother, bassist Eric “Pik Funk” Smith and keyboardist Carl Wheeler. “Organization’s Sake” follows and it’s another funky beat fest. “EG Is Here” is written by the trio with guitarist Eric Gales on a light and airy masterpiece. On “Extreme Pleasure” you can hear Jim Pugh playing on the Hammond B-3. “At Long Last” was solely written by Jubu and sounds like a smokehouse as one can actually smell it.

“McLeansville Blues” is about McLeansville, a small town in Guilford County, North Carolina, population 1,021. The closer is again an airy composition, “Totally Convicted” once again featuring the Hammond B-3.

On the liner notes, Jim Pugh states, “perhaps the greatest guitar player most people have never heard of”. You might be hearing Jubu Smith for the first time but he is without a doubt unforgettable.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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