Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Lonnie Smith Trio: Afro Blue

The Lonnie Smith Trio: Afro Blue

By Glenn Astarita
November 1, 1997
View read count

Veteran organist Lonnie Smith pays homage to John Coltrane on this new release, supported once again by guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith. The title cut is a mid-tempo burner that relies heavily on the original Trane interpretation of Mongo Santamaria's classic composition. Nothing new or innovative here but honorable mention goes to the great John Abercrombie. His soloing is reminiscent of the early 70's gem "Timeless."

Abercrombie's angular and unusual phrasing serves as a perfect match for Smith's melodic comping and enticing Hammond B3 overtones. Marvin "Smitty" Smith as usual is the perfect accompaniast and provides the neccessary dynamics to heighten the intensity. "Impressions" is lively and spirited. "Naima" serves as a brief interlude. "Traces of Trane" is a Smith original and "Lonnie's Lament" burns with passion and conviction. "Bessies Blues" is a tasty arrangement and ends the set with a bang. Basically, a well executed and delightful recording. It won't set the world on fire — but what we have here is good working-class, no-frills jazz!

Track Listing

Afro Blue, Impressions, Naima, Traces of Love, Lonnie's Lament, Bessie's Blues

Personnel

Dr. Lonnie Smith

organ, Hammond B3

Album information

Title: Afro Blue | Year Released: 1997 | Record Label: Musicmasters

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Dave Hughes' All-Time Favorite Conte...
< Previous

Talkin' Square Biz with Arkadia Prez...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.