File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:52
Size: 148,4 MB
Art: Front
( 7:45) 1. Why Can't We Live Together
( 7:25) 2. Bright Eyes - Live
( 7:33) 3. Too Damn Hot - Live
( 9:44) 4. Track 9 - Live
(12:04) 5. World Weeps - Live
( 8:20) 6. Pilgrimage - Live
( 4:22) 7. Epistrophy - Live
( 6:37) 8. Sunshine Superman
A new release by the iconic 78 year old New York organist Dr Lonnie Smith is always keenly anticipated, and this his third since returning to the Blue Note label after nearly 50 years absence is no exception. During his lengthy career the Hammond B 3 specialist has recorded thirty albums as a leader and appeared on very many other recordings, notably with the likes of saxophonist Lou Donaldson, guitarist George Benson and bassist Red Holloway. Now a N.E.A. Jazz Master, he was voted Organist of the year no less than nine times by The Jazz Journalists Association since 2003. A documentary film showcasing the talents of this remarkable and forward thinking musician entitled "Dr B3 The Soul Of The Music" by the award winning Canadian film maker Ed Barreveld was nearing completion as of December last year.
Six of the eight tracks on this almost one hour long, highly entertaining album were recorded during the organists 75th birthday celebrations at The Jazz Standard club in New York City during 2017. That session forms the centre piece of the recording but is top and tailed by two studio takes of the organ, guitar and drums trio with guest vocalist Iggy Pop. Jazz purists should have no concern about the presence of this 73 year old artist from Michigan once known as "The Godfather of Punk" for his time with "The Stooges" and his work with the late great David Bowie, as he fits perfectly into the context of the recording with minimalistic and subdued renderings of the Timmy Thomas tune Why Can't We Live Together and Donovan's 1966 hit Sunshine Superman. It is however the club session that really strikes home, most of the tunes are from the leaders pen and show great originality in both their concepts and execution. The doctor's organ sound is almost always understated and full of intriguing subtle harmonies, the one exception being on the more up-beat Bright Eyes where overtones of the ever popular Jimmy Smith are evident, but even this is somewhat a slow burner and contains one of a number of telling solo passages during the set from the North Carolinian saxophonist John Ellis.
All the numbers have an inbuilt delicacy about them without ever becoming trite or sentimental in any way. A good example of this is the rather strangely titled Track 9, which although intricate in parts has a strong searching quality about it and brings a stratospheric interlude from trumpet man Sean Jones to the fore alongside a telling contribution from the baritone of ex Roy Hargrove Big Band saxophonist Jason Marshall. A key component of the whole ambient sound of the set is the performance throughout of guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg who has now been in the band for over eleven years and supplies both superb single note runs as well as having a strong affinity when exchanging ideas with the leader. This is particularly so when the band reverts to the trio mode, such as on the twelve minute World Weeps, a truly stunning and sensitive piece to begin with that builds layers of tension as the tempo and volume increases to an almost angry level as it progresses before once more dropping down into more calmer waters. Proceedings are further enhanced on one track by the presence of the mezzo soprano Alicia Olatuja, a vocalist more than comfortable in a wide range of settings from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir to The Julliard Jazz Ensemble, who engrained her reputation considerably with a well publicised performance at Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration. Here she quite obviously brings the house down on Meryl Konenigsberg's poignant lyrics to Lonnie Smiths excellent composition Pilgrimage. In summary this is a very fine album, not just for the performances of the main soloists but also for the tight ensemble sound when the band are in septet mode and the stunning but sensitive drumming of Jonathan Blake from first to last. Although it is only March it is very likely that this disc will at least be pencilled in on some peoples top ten jazz albums of 2021. by Jim Burlong https://www.jazzviews.net/dr-lonnie-smith---breathe.html
Personnel: Dr Lonnie Smith ( Hammond B3 Organ), Sean Jones (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), John Ellis (tenor), Jason Marshall ( baritone), Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar), Johnathan Blake (drums), Guest vocalists, Iggy Pop & Alicia Olatuja.
Six of the eight tracks on this almost one hour long, highly entertaining album were recorded during the organists 75th birthday celebrations at The Jazz Standard club in New York City during 2017. That session forms the centre piece of the recording but is top and tailed by two studio takes of the organ, guitar and drums trio with guest vocalist Iggy Pop. Jazz purists should have no concern about the presence of this 73 year old artist from Michigan once known as "The Godfather of Punk" for his time with "The Stooges" and his work with the late great David Bowie, as he fits perfectly into the context of the recording with minimalistic and subdued renderings of the Timmy Thomas tune Why Can't We Live Together and Donovan's 1966 hit Sunshine Superman. It is however the club session that really strikes home, most of the tunes are from the leaders pen and show great originality in both their concepts and execution. The doctor's organ sound is almost always understated and full of intriguing subtle harmonies, the one exception being on the more up-beat Bright Eyes where overtones of the ever popular Jimmy Smith are evident, but even this is somewhat a slow burner and contains one of a number of telling solo passages during the set from the North Carolinian saxophonist John Ellis.
All the numbers have an inbuilt delicacy about them without ever becoming trite or sentimental in any way. A good example of this is the rather strangely titled Track 9, which although intricate in parts has a strong searching quality about it and brings a stratospheric interlude from trumpet man Sean Jones to the fore alongside a telling contribution from the baritone of ex Roy Hargrove Big Band saxophonist Jason Marshall. A key component of the whole ambient sound of the set is the performance throughout of guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg who has now been in the band for over eleven years and supplies both superb single note runs as well as having a strong affinity when exchanging ideas with the leader. This is particularly so when the band reverts to the trio mode, such as on the twelve minute World Weeps, a truly stunning and sensitive piece to begin with that builds layers of tension as the tempo and volume increases to an almost angry level as it progresses before once more dropping down into more calmer waters. Proceedings are further enhanced on one track by the presence of the mezzo soprano Alicia Olatuja, a vocalist more than comfortable in a wide range of settings from The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir to The Julliard Jazz Ensemble, who engrained her reputation considerably with a well publicised performance at Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration. Here she quite obviously brings the house down on Meryl Konenigsberg's poignant lyrics to Lonnie Smiths excellent composition Pilgrimage. In summary this is a very fine album, not just for the performances of the main soloists but also for the tight ensemble sound when the band are in septet mode and the stunning but sensitive drumming of Jonathan Blake from first to last. Although it is only March it is very likely that this disc will at least be pencilled in on some peoples top ten jazz albums of 2021. by Jim Burlong https://www.jazzviews.net/dr-lonnie-smith---breathe.html
Personnel: Dr Lonnie Smith ( Hammond B3 Organ), Sean Jones (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), John Ellis (tenor), Jason Marshall ( baritone), Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar), Johnathan Blake (drums), Guest vocalists, Iggy Pop & Alicia Olatuja.
Breathe
