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Jazz Articles about Dr. Lonnie Smith
Dr. Lonnie Smith: Rise Up!
by Douglas Payne
When the Hammond B-3 organ enjoyed a revival several years ago, few came out the better for it. The old guys either repeated or tried to recapture what they'd done before and too few of the new guys had anything new to say. But then there was Lonnie Smith.
This veteran of '60s organ combos, the genre's golden age, quietly returned to the scene in the early '90s, sporting a turban and a new prefix to his name. ...
Continue ReadingDr. Lonnie Smith: Rise Up!
by John Barron
Rise Up! is Dr. Lonnie Smith's third release for Palmetto Records and a welcome addition to the organist's rich recorded legacy. Since bursting onto the scene as a member of George Benson's quartet in the 1960s, the Buffalo native has been an unrelenting force on the Hammond B3. Joined here by alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Herlin Riley, Smith offers up a listener-friendly set of originals and pop covers.
Smith is known for dispensing heavy doses ...
Continue ReadingDr. Lonnie Smith: Organ Guru
by Mikayla Gilbreath
[Editor's Note: Mikayla's Totally Jazzed is a new column that will feature artist interviews and thoughts on jazz by saxophonist/student Mikayla Gilbreath. Despite her young age, she's managed to connect with a surprising number of well-known musicians, hosting a pre-concert reception at Sonny Rollins' 50th Anniversary Carnegie Hall Concert in 2007 that was attended by artists including Jimmy Heath, Lou Donaldson, Paquito D' Rivera, Joe Lovano, David Liebman, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Marion Meadows. At fourteen she's already a confirmed ...
Continue ReadingDr. Lonnie Smith: Jungle Soul
by AAJ Italy Staff
Non c’è nessuna ragione che lo abbia spinto ad indossare un turbante né ad assumere l’appellattivo di Doctor Lonnie Smith. Almeno, così lui dice. Nessuno lo sa, nemmeno lui. Di sicuro sa far suonare molto bene l’organo Hammond B3 a tal punto da guadagnarsi nella sua lunga e fortunata carriera il premio come miglior organista nel 1969 (Downbeat) e per tre anni consecutivi (2003- 2005) la Jazz Journalist Association lo ha votato come miglior tastierista. Credenziali di tutto rispetto queste. ...
Continue ReadingDr. Lonnie Smith: Jungle Soul
by Troy Collins
Hammond B-3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith returns with a soulful, funky session of straight-ahead grooves and smoldering moods on Jungle Soul. After a series of focused tributes to individual musicians (John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and Beck, respectively), this release finds the good doctor drawing from classic and original source material for an enjoyable theme ride through the proverbial dark continent.
Joined by a stripped-down organ combo lineup of guitar and drums, Smith charts a course of smoldering intensity. ...
Continue ReadingDr. Lonnie Smith: Jungle Soul
by Jim Santella
Reaching down deep inside and interpreting ten pieces with moving feeling, Dr. Lonnie Smith leads his trio through a program filled with soulful emotion on Jungle Soul.
Jungle Soul lets the good doctor turn it loose. He's subtle, and yet he's got a groove going on. Organ, guitar drums and percussion lead the way as we journey through exotic lands. Similarly, “Zimbabwe charts a course for excitement and adventure, but with a faster, driving ambience, as Smith's trio ...
Continue ReadingLonnie Smith: Turning Point
by Chris M. Slawecki
When Hammond master Lonnie Smith recorded this set for Blue Note in 1968, he was better known as a supporting sideman on performances and recordings by (among others) George Benson and especially Lou Donaldson; some of Sweet Lou's best recordings, including Alligator Boogaloo, Midnight Creeper, and Everything I Play is Funky, feature Smith's supple Hammond grooves.
Other musicians must have found Smith's musicianship worthy of respect, for this session convenes a gathering that's the perfect snapshot of the ...
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