Gears

This successor to the similarly Mizells-produced Gambler’s Life had a tough act to follow. But in the event that you don’t have to actually choose between the two albums, 1975’s Gears makes for a fine companion piece, despite the change in label (CTI to Milestone) and a less-frenetic yet still lively energy level. The two big stunners here are “Los Conquistadores Chocolatés” — a cheerful little march that soon unfolds into a kaleidoscopic Latin-funk vamp where Smith more than earns his B-3-inspired pseudo-surname — and “Shifting Gears,” which bounces like few other jazz-funk songs of the era thanks to Chuck Rainey’s deep-down bassline and a succession of audacious key changes that Hammond’s responsive solos just keep on elevating.