--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first recording, a guy came down to…" description: "\"My first recording, a guy came down to Philadelphia and heard me play and he introduced me to Alfred Lion.\" — Jimmy Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/jimmy-smith-34068_came_my-first-recording-a-guy-came-down-to-ph_756727.jpg" --- # My first recording, a guy came down to Philadelphia and… ![“My first recording, a guy came down to Philadelphia and heard me play and he introduced me to Alfred Lion.” quote by Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/jimmy-smith-34068_came_my-first-recording-a-guy-came-down-to-ph_756727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/jimmy-smith-34068_came_my-first-recording-a-guy-came-down-to-ph_756727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/jimmy-smith-34068_came_my-first-recording-a-guy-came-down-to-ph_756727.jpg) > “My first recording, a guy came down to Philadelphia and heard me play and he introduced me to Alfred Lion.” [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A chance encounter in Philadelphia led to a pivotal introduction to a key record producer. **In simple terms:** A meeting changed his career. Key Takeaway Seize unexpected opportunities. Themes career chance networking Mood inspired hopeful Type musical historical When to use this quote - recording sessions - live gigs - artist collaborations Key Concepts music industry mentorship Questions to Reflect On - How do you create chance encounters? - What role does mentorship play in artistic growth? A Different Perspective Success often depends on luck. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Philadelphia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philadelphia/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Recording](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recording/) ## Related quotes > [When I came to Philadelphia in the late '80s, it was going through a very difficult time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamron-hall/when-i-came-to-philadelphia-in-the-late-80s-it-was-going-through-a/) [Tamron Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamron-hall/) > [The U.S. - the idea that the U.S. has introduced and imposed principles of international law, that's hardly even a joke. The United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-u-s-the-idea-that-the-u-s-has-introduced-and-imposed-principles/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Where are my manners? We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Surah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-gordon/where-are-my-manners-we-haven-t-been-properly-introduced-i-m-surah/) [H.D. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-gordon/) > [I think everyone is introduced to the Peter Pan story when they're very young. Everyone has read the book and watched the Disney film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-rowe/i-think-everyone-is-introduced-to-the-peter-pan-story-when-they-re/) [Charlie Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-rowe/) > [New situations requiring closer contact with the rabbit had been gradually introduced and the degree to which these situations were avoided, tolerated, or welcomed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-jones/new-situations-requiring-closer-contact-with-the-rabbit-had-been/) Mary C. Jones > [The levels of poverty in 1933's rural America were unimaginable to us now. The 1933 Farm Bill, which introduced unprecedented government control over agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/the-levels-of-poverty-in-1933-s-rural-america-were-unimaginable-to-us/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [My grandpa was the one; he started taking up golf when I was about two and introduced me to the game as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/my-grandpa-was-the-one-he-started-taking-up-golf-when-i-was-about-two/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [Everyone asks me why someone Turkish is making Greek yogurt. In Greece, it is not called 'Greek yogurt.' 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Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced-myself-to-people-and-told/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) ## More by Jimmy Smith > [Michael Coleman, now that was a boy that taught me some stuff too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/michael-coleman-now-that-was-a-boy-that-taught-me-some-stuff-too/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [All the colleges I played, most of the colleges, they were white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/all-the-colleges-i-played-most-of-the-colleges-they-were-white/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I did my first recording. It was called The Champ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-did-my-first-recording-it-was-called-the-champ/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [Yeah, you know everybody has somebody that they patterned themselves after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/yeah-you-know-everybody-has-somebody-that-they-patterned-themselves/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I played with Sam Lay, Jimmy Reed, Big Walter Horton, Big Moose Walker, and all those guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-played-with-sam-lay-jimmy-reed-big-walter-horton-big-moose-walker/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I heard Mr. Wild Bill Davis. I heard him play in 1930 and he told me that it would take me fifteen years just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-heard-mr-wild-bill-davis-i-heard-him-play-in-1930-and-he-told-me/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I played with Eddie Taylor's son, Tim Taylor and Carey Bells son Lurie Bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-played-with-eddie-taylor-s-son-tim-taylor-and-carey-bells-son-lurie/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [And then when I found my sound, it took me two and a half weeks to find my sound and when I did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/and-then-when-i-found-my-sound-it-took-me-two-and-a-half-weeks-to/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [People like the idea of the trio and so I did mostly trio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/people-like-the-idea-of-the-trio-and-so-i-did-mostly-trio/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [Three months. I was playing the organ for three months. It was a challenge for me in the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/three-months-i-was-playing-the-organ-for-three-months-it-was-a/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I always had the facial hair so I looked older than I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-always-had-the-facial-hair-so-i-looked-older-than-i-was/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I just came from Aspen, Colorado and they had fifteen kids I played for and they all played horns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/i-just-came-from-aspen-colorado-and-they-had-fifteen-kids-i-played/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [My boys told me they'd rather play than practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/my-boys-told-me-they-d-rather-play-than-practice/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) [Explore all 14 Jimmy Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) ## More Came quotes > [After '8 Mile' came out and blew up, the ball has been rolling ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-benson-miller/after-8-mile-came-out-and-blew-up-the-ball-has-been-rolling-ever-since/) [Omar Benson Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-benson-miller/) > [Oh, I'm a great believer in the power of the pause. 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I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“I came back to You because I could not find the kind and decent things I found in You anywhere else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-came-back-to-you-because-i-could-not-find-the-kind-and-decent/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. 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